The Nextlander Watchcast

Latest Episodes:

111: V/H/S (2012) Oct 28, 2024

On this week's Watchcast we continue to barrel through our month of anthology horrors with the movie that spawned a shockingly successful found footage franchise in V/H/S!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 111: V/H/S (2012)
(00:00:56) - Intro.
(00:02:47) - Our movie this week: the found footage horror anthology, V/H/S!
(00:05:57) - Boy, they have made a bunch of these things since 2012.
(00:08:30) - Some production history.
(00:16:24) - The set-up for all this grimy nonsense.
(00:26:04) - Our first full short: Amateur Night.
(00:32:49) - This girl...is not what she seems.
(00:38:20) - Rivers Cuomo is not getting out of this one alive.
(00:43:08) - Break!
(00:43:30) - We're back, and it's time for Second Honeymoon!
(00:52:14) - Moving on to Tuesday the 17th.
(01:00:08) - Eventually, the glitch comes for us all.
(01:06:06) - Next up, The Sick Thing That Happened to Emily When She Was Younger.
(01:11:04) - Is this better than having your house be haunted? No. No it is not.
(01:19:25) - Our wrapper scumbags get got.
(01:21:32) - Our final short: 10/31/98.
(01:26:39) - If I pay $0 for a haunted house I better die.
(01:33:19) - You see what happens, Larry? You see what happens when you help a stranger in a witch house?
(01:35:58) - Final thoughts.
(01:43:01) - Our plans for next week's Treehouse of Horror spectacular.
(01:46:02) - Outro.

110: Trick 'r Treat (2007) Oct 21, 2024

With Brad out this week, Remap Radio's Patrick Klepek is here to fill the third chair as we talk through one of his personal favorite horror anthologies, Trick 'r Treat!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 110: Trick 'r Treat (2007)
(00:00:23) - Intro.
(00:02:18) - Our movie this week: Trick 'r Treat! A movie that had a weirdly difficult path to being seen by the masses.
(00:09:55) - Cast chat.
(00:13:55) - Jumping right into the movie's set-up.
(00:22:55) - A barfy hello to Principal Wilkins.
(00:31:24) - Break!
(00:31:46) - We're back, and it's time to get into some Warren Valley deep lore.
(00:40:15) - Kids are very much NOT safe in this movie.
(00:44:34) - Anna Paquin and her sisters.
(00:50:46) - On the subject of werewolf transformations.
(00:56:09) - Our final segment: Brian Cox runs afoul of a pumpkin demon.
(01:04:44) - We've learned the true meaning of Halloween: killing those who have wronged you from beyond the grave.
(01:08:06) - Final thoughts.
(01:12:46) - A brief Halloween Ramblecast crashes into the Watchcast.
(01:20:26) - Vinny's ranking, and a short bit on next week's movie: V/H/S!
(01:23:43) - Outro.

109: Creepshow (1982) Oct 14, 2024

It's officially spooky season here on the Watchcast, and we kick off our month of anthology horror with the dream team of George Romero, Stephen King, Tom Savini, and a cavalcade of early '80s stars in Creepshow!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 109: Creepshow (1982)
(00:00:24) - Intro.
(00:01:28) - Our film to kick off our month of horror anthologies: Creepshow!
(00:05:55) - What do we know about EC Comics, and how did these two crazy horror makers get together?
(00:13:22) - Our star-studded cast, and the ongoing relevance of the Creepshow brand.
(00:17:41) - You kids and your trash comics!
(00:20:04) - Our first short, featuring the scariest holiday of all: Father's Day!
(00:25:32) - Our daddy's come back and you're gonna be in trouble! (Hey-laaaa, day-la! I want my cake!)
(00:30:47) - Stephen King like you've never seen him before!
(00:39:45) - Break!
(00:40:05) - We're back, and it's time to torture Ted Danson!
(00:56:12) - Here come the soggy ghouls.
(01:00:51) - Onto The Crate.
(01:12:26) - An opportunity presents itself.
(01:17:52) - Please do not dump your arctic beasts in our quarry.
(01:19:54) - It's time to get buggy with Upson Pratt.
(01:31:15) - Dad could not foresee the old voodoo doll twist.
(01:32:46) - Final thoughts.
(01:36:06) - Onto our remaining schedule for the month.
(01:39:41) - Outro.

108: eXistenZ (1999) Oct 07, 2024

We close out our month of vaguely video game related movies with the goopiest game in town, eXistenZ! Join us as we dive many layers deep into the subrealities of Cronenberg's fleshy cyberpunk delight to see if it holds up to our fond memories.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 108: eXistenZ (1999)
(00:00:37) - Intro.
(00:02:19) - What are we doing here? We're talking about eXistenZ!
(00:03:47) - Vinny has questions, and we talk a little about when we first saw this thing.
(00:11:48) - Alex's one David Cronenberg story.
(00:14:47) - Some background on the movie's inspirations and production.
(00:19:21) - Our (shockingly young) cast.
(00:25:03) - High praise for Howard Shore and the effects team.
(00:30:39) - Our immediate introduction to the GamePod.
(00:41:37) - Death to the demoness!
(00:49:39) - Break!
(00:50:05) - We're back, and it's time to pull out a tooth bullet.
(00:58:13) - It's Gas! That guy who works at the Country Gas Station!
(01:05:58) - Let's go see what kind of accent Ian Holm has.
(01:08:53) - Time to jack into eXistenZ.
(01:19:07) - We are going Trout Farm mode, we are Chinese Restaurant maxing.
(01:31:17) - Well, the waiter's dead. Now what?
(01:37:29) - We've finished all the side-missions, let's get back to the main quest.
(01:45:54) - You are the queen of eXistenZ! Here's your VR tiara (VRa?)
(01:50:32) - A Death to the Demon encore!
(01:57:35) - Final thoughts.
(02:03:48) - Some forward-looking talk about our October theme: horror anthologies!
(02:08:14) - Outro.

107: Ready Player One (2018) Sep 30, 2024

It's Ready Player One week on the Watchcast, and that's all Vinny Caravella's fault, so send any relevant complaints his way. Join us as we take our shift in the nostalgia mines of the Oasis, and wonder just how many empty licensed calories we can take in before overdosing.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 107: Ready Player One (2018)
(00:00:52) - Intro.
(00:01:40) - It's Ready Player One week, and that's Vinny's fault.
(00:09:57) - Vinny has read the book, and he knows the differences (I could not find clips of his Bombcast rant, sorry).
(00:16:34) - Who is responsible for this?
(00:26:39) - The licenses that got away.
(00:30:31) - Cast talk.
(00:42:09) - Some initial houghts about why this movie doesn't work for us.
(00:46:56) - Break!
(00:47:14) - We're back, and it's time to launch into whatever the hell is going on here.
(00:58:08) - Kicking off the first challenge with King Kong Kart.
(01:09:38) - What the hell is IOI's deal.
(01:17:09) - Onto challenge two and the Halliday archive.
(01:22:43) - The Shining level.
(01:29:15) - The IOI pitch.
(01:38:48) - Real world meet-up.}
(01:40:53) - Challenge three on Planet Doom (but not that DOOM, just a generic sort of Doom).
(01:48:02) - This is not a great final battle.
(01:56:28) - We found the damn egg.
(02:09:57) - We won the game! Life is OK for everybody now!
(02:13:09) - Final thoughts.
(02:24:28) - Talking about our final movie for the month: eXistenZ!
(02:26:30) - Outro.

106: Cloak & Dagger (1984) Sep 23, 2024

This week on the Watchcast, it's Cloak & Dagger! No, not the Marvel thing. The loosely Atari-related thing from the '80s! Join us as we discuss illegal game tapes, Dabney Coleman's action hero credentials, and how we feel having just watched the kid from E.T. kill a guy.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 106: Cloak & Dagger (1984)
(00:00:24) - Intro.
(00:01:00) - Our movie this week: Cloak & Dagger! (Not the Marvel thing.)
(00:10:42) - Talking about the movie's connection to Atari and video games.
(00:17:52) - Some top-line thoughts about what does and doesn't work in the movie.
(00:20:49) - Talking about some of the folks who helped make this thing.
(00:27:33) - The strangely common refrain of this movie being important to kids who have trouble relating to their dad.
(00:28:30) - More production and cast talk.
(00:35:43) - The movie's opening Hitman level.
(00:37:10) - Our intro to the kids and Morris.
(00:44:45) - Infiltrating Textronics.
(00:51:07) - Evil video game scientists are hunting your children!
(00:58:30) - Break!
(00:58:46) - We're back, and the bad guys are coming to kill this kid.
(01:05:39) - Unlocking the secrets of the forbidden Atari tape.
(01:12:28) - There is no plan here. These people are dumb as hell.
(01:16:13) - Davey is on the run.
(01:21:30) - Sure, let's make a kid ride in a trunk with a corpse. PG! Parental Guidance!
(01:26:07) - To the Alamo!
(01:31:32) - Wacky child driving antics!
(01:36:28) - Jack Flack might not be a great role model.
(01:45:41) - To the airport! Where unsupervised children will be welcomed with only moderate questioning.
(01:50:37) - This is one of the goofiest hostage situations in film history.
(01:56:40) - Final thoughts.
(01:59:58) - Girding ourselves for next week's movie: Ready Player One!
(02:05:00) - Outro.

105: Tetris (2023) Sep 16, 2024

Continuing along our path of video game related movies, we come to last year's Apple TV retelling of the story of Tetris and its makers. Join us as we dig through the true history of the game, pick apart the extremely Hollywood-ized additions to the story, and muse about our own histories with Tetris.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 105: Tetris (2023)
(00:00:13) - Intro.
(00:03:48) - A second Robert Maxwell reference has hit the Watchcast.
(00:07:50) - Let's talk about our histories with Tetris, and dive into some licensing history.
(00:12:40) - A certain ongoing lawsuit, and a little bit on the folks involved in this production.
(00:17:44) - Getting into the extremely hasty intro to this story.
(00:28:20) - Running down some of the real world figures and their portrayals here.
(00:40:40) - Break!
(00:41:12) - We're back, and it's time to start picking apart licensing rights.
(00:51:22) - The cheesy (but delightful) Game Boy unveiling.
(01:06:37) - Henk's Moscow adventure begins.
(01:18:01) - The real negotiations begin.
(01:29:14) - Henk and Alexei bond.
(01:34:45) - Is Henk about to lose everything? No, because there'd be no movie otherwise.
(01:40:41) - Donald Kaufman's Tetris.
(01:47:56) - The aftermath (and some loose talk about the Tetris movie we ALMOST got).
(01:55:24) - Final thoughts.
(01:58:22) - Talking about our film for next week: Cloak & Dagger!
(02:02:32) - Outro.

104: The Wizard (1989) Sep 09, 2024

We're kicking off a full month of video game related movies with what is far and away the most important video game commercial of our collective childhoods, The Wizard! Join us as we torment our younger selves by forcing them to confront the cold, hard reality of a movie from our youth not quite standing up to the test of time...or the test of anything, really.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 104: The Wizard (1989)
(00:00:27) - Intro.
(00:04:27) - We finally get around to saying the name of our movie this week: The Wizard!
(00:10:15) - Picking apart a bunch of the family scenes that were cut.
(00:18:32) - Getting into the background of the folks who made this thing.
(00:34:18) - Why did Nintendo get involved in this nonsense?
(00:47:31) - Break!
(00:48:06) - We're back, and let's kick off this video game movie with a wildly neglected child.
(00:58:59) - Just two young kids skateboarding from Utah to California. An extremely normal thing to do.
(01:06:26) - Haley has an idea to exploit this traumatized child's adeptness at video games.
(01:11:09) - Is that how a Power Glove™ works?
(01:14:13) - Father and son bonding over Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
(01:22:04) - Reno! It's a town! And some musings on the Nintendo Help Line.
(01:30:25) - Haley gets her monologue.
(01:36:04) - FINALLY, we are in California.
(01:41:55) - A Universal backlot chase climax? In this economy?!?
(01:49:01) - The real star of the movie: Super Mario Bros. 3!
(01:56:00) - Sure, Jimmy just won $50k, but what is that worth if we don't solve his trauma before the credits?
(02:02:42) - Final thoughts.
(02:05:55) - Talking about the rest of our films for this month.
(02:12:14) - Outro (and Vinny's ranking).

103: Repo Man (1984) Sep 02, 2024

We're closing out our run of movies with Twin Peaks cast members with the '80s punk classic, Repo Man! Join us as we chase down a rogue Chevy Malibu, do a bunch of idiotic crimes, and explore the lattice of coincidence that binds us all.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 103: Repo Man (1984)
(00:00:12) - Intro.
(00:01:35) - Our film this week: Repo Man! And some discussion of how it relates to the punk scene of its time.
(00:10:47) - Some background on how this movie came to be.
(00:20:39) - Cast chat.
(00:24:47) - That soundtrack.
(00:26:56) - Driving full speed down a desert highway into the film itself.
(00:29:45) - Our introduction to Otto.
(00:33:14) - I am become Repo Man, pilferer of vehicles.
(00:37:18) - Otto's home life.
(00:42:06) - Break!
(00:42:39) - We're back, and it's time to learn the Repo Code.
(00:45:56) - The Rodriguez Brothers.
(00:49:03) - Otto meets Leila.
(00:51:42) - Miller's musings about the universe.
(00:55:32) - Playing hot potato with an extremely hot Malibu, and a brief history of American ska.
(01:01:49) - A gunfight in San Pedro.
(01:03:37) - Things start getting weird(er).
(01:06:30) - Let's give a warm welcome to The Circle Jerks!
(01:11:10) - Bud gets in hot water, Otto happens upon the Malibu, and some talk about the movie's reception.
(01:16:49) - The Repo Wives, and the goofiest hold-up you've ever seen.
(01:20:47) - Tracking the many seemingly incoherent things that happen toward the end.
(01:30:11) - Flying off into the wild irradiated yonder.
(01:33:18) - Final thoughts.
(01:40:54) - Housekeeping for next month.
(01:44:31) - Outro.

102: The Hidden (1987) Aug 26, 2024

On this week's Watchcast we continue our loose theme of films featuring Twin Peaks actors that also happen to take place in Los Angeles and have memorable soundtracks with the 1987 sci-fi/horror/action romp, The Hidden! Join us and Agent Not Cooper as we track down a body-hopping, spree-killing alien before he becomes President of the United States.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 102: The Hidden (1987)
(00:00:26) - Intro.
(00:02:07) - Our film this week: Agent Cooper (and Hank!) in The Hidden! And some Commando catch-up talk.
(00:08:38) - A little bit about the production history and people involved.
(00:15:21) - Our killer cast.
(00:24:53) - Launching into the film itself (in a stolen Ferrari).
(00:34:49) - The body swapping begins, and we meet Lloyd Gallagher.
(00:46:54) - Break!
(00:47:17) - We're back, and it's time to eat steak weird and listen to punk rock!
(00:54:11) - Ferraris! Cocaine! Guns! All the pleasures of Earth.
(01:01:40) - Guess who's coming to dinner?
(01:05:48) - Commander Ivanova like you've never seen her before!
(01:10:41) - A lukewarm pursuit in a pimp car to a mannequin factory.
(01:16:14) - Bad dog, bad lieutenant.
(01:21:41) - The police station massacre.
(01:27:57) - Why you stalkin' about, Willis?
(01:34:24) - A brand! New! FAMILY!
(01:39:19) - Final thoughts.
(01:42:11) - Housekeeping for next week, and outro.

101: Commando (1985) Aug 12, 2024

Before the Watchcast goes on a one week hiatus, we've got one more movie to shove into your faces, and this time it's the Schwarzenegger squib and explosion fest Commando! And Dan Ryckert's here to lend his film school analysis to this classic of the dudes blowing up genre.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 101: Commando (1985)
(00:00:18) - Intro.
(00:01:53) - Where has Commando been all Brad's life?
(00:11:12) - Some background on how Commando got made.
(00:15:44) - Our incredible cast (in that some of them greatly strain credibility).
(00:26:04) - Some budget and stunt talk.
(00:29:38) - Break!
(00:30:03) - We're back. Let's party!
(00:38:29) - We've gotten our pesky introductions out of the way, now let's start blowing people up.
(00:45:06) - John Matrix will not be participating in any coups today.
(00:49:24) - Matrix is off the plane, now it's time to find Sully, and say hello to Rae Dawn Chong.
(00:57:25) - Matrix (briefly) explains himself.
(01:00:15) - Time to fight Bill Duke and kill the other guy from Renegade.
(01:04:36) - Supermarket Sweep, John Matrix style.
(01:08:22) - Thank goodness he found the one flight attendant that had been taking sea plane lessons.
(01:13:41) - An orgiastic delight of squibs and explosions.
(01:20:12) - Let off some steam, Bennett.
(01:26:01) - Just bodies.
(01:27:47) - Final thoughts.
(01:29:51) - What's coming up on the Watchcast in two weeks, and also Vinny's ranking.
(01:33:45) - Outro.

100: Jackie Brown (1997) Aug 05, 2024

Twin Peaks is wrapped, but we find ourselves longing for more time with the cast, so why not dig into some of the non-Lynch movies these folks have made over the years? First up, Robert Forster's triumphant comeback movie and, at least in one host's estimation, Quentin Tarantino's best overall work, Jackie Brown!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 100: Jackie Brown (1997)
(00:00:39) - Intro.
(00:01:46) - Our movie this week: Jackie Brown!
(00:09:46) - Working our way through the all-star cast.
(00:22:31) - How this movie got made.
(00:28:30) - Launching into the movie itself.
(00:32:20) - Meeting Jackie Brown, then meeting Ordell, Louis, and Melanie.
(00:39:33) - Our introduction to Max Cherry, and bye bye Beaumont.
(00:48:44) - Dargus!
(00:51:59) - A surprisingly all-star cast for a pre-trial hearing, and Jackie gets sprung.
(00:58:43) - Break!
(00:59:03) - We're back, and Ordell's in a killing mood again.
(01:04:42) - Max pays a morning visit.
(01:10:48) - Jackie hatches her plan, and Melanie jumps on Louis.
(01:17:52) - A longing memory for the heyday of music stores and fashion malls.
(01:24:02) - The first drop.
(01:28:56) - The heist is on.
(01:41:37) - Louis messed up.
(01:47:29) - Jackie talks her way past the cops, but now she's got Ordell to deal with.
(01:57:59) - Closing things out with Jackie and Max.
(02:01:05) - Final thoughts.
(02:05:55) - Housekeeping for next week, and outro.

BONUS: Twin Peaks: The Supplemental Materials Jul 29, 2024

The watching may have concluded, but the discussion is not yet over! Join us as we dive into the books, the wikis, the fan theories, and everything else that encompasses Twin Peaks one last time.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Bonus Episode 002: Twin Peaks: The Books and Everything Else
(00:00:40) - Intro.
(00:06:45) - What did the guys go hunting for in the intervening week.
(00:09:33) - Explaining The Secret History of Twin Peaks, by Mark Frost.
(00:10:54) - Dougie Milford: The Forest Gump of clandestine government projects.
(00:14:49) - What do we know about Jack Parsons? The concept of Thelema? The Goddess Babalon?
(00:20:00) - By gawd King, that's Richard Milhouse Nixon's music!
(00:31:33) - But who is the Archivist?
(00:35:54) - Summing up what the Secret History has to offer (and some Final Dossier talk.
(00:46:32) - Break!
(00:47:05) - We're back, and now it's time to find out what happened to your favorite characters (like Audrey!).
(01:00:06) - Let's talk about Donna (and the Haywards, and also Lana we guess).
(01:08:11) - How's Annie? (Also, Hank's dead.)
(01:11:02) - The long and ridiculous story of Norma's parents.
(01:14:33) - Bouncing around a bunch of minor characters and plot threads.
(01:16:20) - Josie!
(01:19:23) - There is, unfortunately, no significant new info on Harry.
(01:20:18) - Vinny wants to know more about the nature of certain characters (and places).
(01:29:31) - Carl, the Packards, and beyond.
(01:36:45) - On the subject of Tammy (and some other odds and ends about Diane and Jeffries).
(01:43:10) - Any later thoughts on the finale with a week to stew on it?
(01:45:21) - Going through some of your submitted questions and theories.
(02:22:18) - Final thoughts on all things Twin Peaks.
(02:28:10) - Some housekeeping for next week and beyond.
(02:31:05) - Outro.

99: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 17 and 18 Jul 22, 2024

The final of Twin Peaks: The Return is upon us, and all that's left to do is vanquish evil, find Laura, and come to a definite and complete understanding of exactly what the hell is going on in whatever year this is.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 099: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 17 & 18
(00:00:48) - Intro.
(00:06:09) - A short housekeeping note about next week's bonus episode.
(00:07:48) - Diving headlong into Part 17, or, The Past Dictates the Future.
(00:16:01) - Everybody makes a break for Twin Peaks.
(00:20:13) - Jerry's OK! And taking stock of whose stories we saw a conclusion to and who we didn't.
(00:26:43) - Mr. C arrives at the coordinates.
(00:37:17) - Mr. C arrives at the sheriff's station.
(00:42:49) - A lot of things happening at once.
(00:47:03) - Lucy's big moment.
(00:51:43) - Bopping the BOB egg.
(00:55:08) - Curtain call for most of our cast.
(01:00:44) - Off to the Great Northern, and to Philip.
(01:11:36) - February 23rd, 1989.
(01:20:51) - The return of Julee Cruise.
(01:23:10) - Break!
(01:23:34) - On to Part 18, otherwise known as What Is Your Name?
(01:31:02) - Cooper returns, and then heads off to...where? Or when?
(01:39:18) - Is a motel just a motel? Or is it something more?
(01:45:11) - Exploring beautiful Odessa, Texas.
(01:49:54) - Say hello to Carrie Page.
(01:54:19) - On the road with Agent Cooper.
(01:57:33) - Arriving in Twin Peaks.
(02:01:38) - What year is this?
(02:02:43) - What does it mean, guys?
(02:24:55) - Talking about books, and our plans for next week's bonus episode.
(02:34:34) - Outro.

98: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 15 & 16 Jul 09, 2024

A mere four episodes stand between us and the conclusion of Twin Peaks, and this week we're saying goodbye to some old friends, some new foes, and our already tenuous grip on reality.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 098: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 15 & 16
(00:00:19) - Intro.
(00:03:51) - Kicking off Part 15, or There's Some Fear in Letting Go.
(00:13:45) - We finally found the Convenience Store.
(00:26:30) - Mr. C and Richard meet.
(00:29:24) - Steven and Gersten lost in the woods.
(00:37:16) - ZZ Top night at the Roadhouse.
(00:40:33) - The wrong Joneses, and goodbye Duncan Todd.
(00:44:10) - A strange night in the clink, and Hutch and Chantal get their Wendy's.
(00:46:14) - An electrifying night at the Jones household.
(00:49:03) - The Log Lady says her farewell.
(00:56:08) - Audrey and Charlie have made to the foyer.
(00:58:50) - Ruby screams.
(01:01:12) - Break!
(01:01:34) - We're back, and it's time for Part 16, No Knock, No Doorbell.
(01:11:39) - Dougie is surrounded by loved ones, and Hutch and Chantal meet their match.
(01:16:45) - FINALLY.
(01:23:27) - Diane's reveal.
(01:37:38) - Cooper says goodbye to the Las Vegas crew.
(01:41:47) - Edward Louis Severson III, and Audrey's last dance.
(01:47:21) - Final thoughts.
(01:49:37) - Some scheduling housekeeping for the finale episode, and announcing a wrap-up bonus episode.
(01:52:09) - Outro.

97: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 13 & 14 Jul 01, 2024

On this week's Watchcast we're up to parts 13 and 14 in Twin Peaks: The Return. Join us as we wander aimlessly through the woods, dream our Monica Bellucci dreams, and sing along to everyone's favorite James Hurley song.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 097: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 13 & 14
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:03:29) - Alex's weekly mea culpa (there's a lot to keep track of!).
(00:05:00) - Vinny is not going to wait around to talk about "Just You".
(00:07:23) - A very disconcerting conga line.
(00:13:23) - The Mitchums' bounty bestowed upon the Joneses.
(00:15:46) - A nice trip to farm country for an arm-wrestling match.
(00:25:29) - Some time alone with our good friend Ray.
(00:34:20) - The Fuscos are on the cusp of a realization, and Sinclair needs poison.
(00:37:23) - Hutch and Chantal muse about Mormons, and Sinclair makes his move.
(00:41:05) - Steven is missing, Anthony confesses.
(00:45:39) - Learning a lot about Norma's diner franchise, and Dr. Jacoby and Nadine finally meet.
(00:52:24) - Sarah enjoys some televised fisticuffs, and Charlie will not tell Audrey what Tina said.
(00:56:54) - (to the tune of Irene Cara's "Fame") James!
(00:59:34) - Ed's lonely soup.
(01:02:53) - Break!
(01:03:29) - We're back, and it's time for Part 14, otherwise known as We Are Like the Dreamer.
(01:07:46) - Diane's familial reveal, and Cole's latest Monica Bellucci dream.
(01:17:27) - Chad finally experiences justice, and the cops are off to Jack Rabbit's Palace.
(01:25:42) - What is up with this guy's face.
(01:27:22) - James and Freddie.
(01:33:30) - Something's wrong with Sarah.
(01:43:22) - Lissie at the Roadhouse, and more Billy talk.
(01:47:44) - Final thoughts (and some predictions for next week's episodes).
(01:51:08) - Outro.

96: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 11 & 12 Jun 24, 2024

Things are heating up in Twin Peaks! Keys have arrived! Billy is missing! Guns are going off! We've got to get home, and we've got miles to go! We haven't seen our uncle in a very long while! AH! AH! AH!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 096: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 11 & 12
(00:00:17) - Intro.
(00:02:05) - Launching straight into part 11, AKA There's Fire Where You Are Going.
(00:05:21) - Becky goes off.
(00:14:11) - Hastings takes the FBI to the site.
(00:21:08) - Bobby and Shelley confront Becky.
(00:24:50) - WE HAVE TO GET HOME. WE HAVE MILES TO GO.
(00:32:39) - Hawk's cool map.
(00:37:09) - The aftermath of Cole's experience.
(00:39:26) - Dougie and the Mitchums meet face-to-face.
(00:50:10) - Champagne and cherry pie (thank you, Mr. Jackpots).
(00:58:04) - Break!
(00:58:33) - We're back, and it's time for Albert and Cole to bring Tammy into the Blue Rose in part 12, AKA Let's Rock.
(01:04:59) - Jerry escapes the woods, Sarah Palmer shops, and Dougie plays catch.
(01:10:09) - Hawk checks in on Sarah.
(01:11:41) - More texting with Diane, and Ben gets some bad news.
(01:20:11) - Cole's French friend.
(01:23:54) - Warden Murphy gets it, and Dr. Jacoby is starting to repeat himself.
(01:26:14) - Audrey! Charlie? Billy?!?
(01:34:21) - Diane looks up the numbers, and one more trip to the Roadhouse.
(01:39:27) - Final thoughts.
(01:45:46) - Outro.

95: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 9 and 10 Jun 17, 2024

After the wild note Part 8 left off on, it's time to get back to some good old fashioned Twin Peaks stuff involving mysterious devices, extradimensional experiences, and the rigors of online shopping.
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 093: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 9 & 10
(00:00:20) - Intro.
(00:01:46) - Launching right into Part 9, otherwise known as This Is the Chair (and one addendum to last week's episodes).
(00:13:40) - Flying over South Dakota in grand FBI style.
(00:16:32) - The Fuscos are on the case.
(00:22:33) - The arrest of Ike The Spike.
(00:25:14) - This is not The Chair.
(00:27:48) - This IS The Chair.
(00:33:09) - Diane gets a text, Briggs' body is examined, and Albert makes a friend.
(00:36:25) - The eternal struggle of man versus foot.
(00:37:58) - Chad is banished from the conference room, and Bobby is the key.
(00:45:11) - The world's most awkward smoke break, and Lynch's nickname for Laura Dern.
(00:47:21) - Hastings unburdens himself.
(00:54:11) - Ben and Bev continue to not find the sound (or each other), and our Roadhouse check-in.
(00:59:15) - Break!
(00:59:34) - We're back, and it's time for Part 10, otherwise known as Laura Is the One.
(01:07:24) - Carl sings a song while Steven flies off the handle.
(01:11:01) - Candy hunts for a wild beast.
(01:13:22) - Dougie goes to Doctor Phlox.
(01:15:32) - The Mitchums watch the news.
(01:17:45) - The sexual allure of Dougie Jones is too much for Janey-E.
(01:21:18) - Dr. Jacoby's latest broadcast.
(01:23:16) - Janey's post-coital glow, Jerry remains lost, and Chad is on a sneaking mission.
(01:26:06) - Hello Johnny, how are you today?
(01:28:49) - Duncan Todd makes Anthony Sinclair an offer.
(01:34:40) - Albert and Constance have their date, and Anthony visits the Mitchums.
(01:38:06) - Cole has a vision, and gets some news.
(01:43:51) - Ben gets word about Richard's attack, and the Log Lady has a message.
(01:47:01) - Rebekah Del Rio in the Roadhouse.
(01:49:20) - Final thoughts.
(01:53:53) - Outro.

94: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 7 & 8 Jun 10, 2024

The time has come, Watchcasters. We know this is a Twin Peaks: The Return episode a bunch of you have had circled on your calendars, and now the wait is at an end. Join us as we pick through parts 7 and 8, and ponder what revelations they may have to offer.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 093: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 5 & 6
(00:01:03) - Intro.
(00:02:32) - Answering some questions Vinny had last time. Alex says one thing about numbers that's wrong here but corrects himself later, so please don't yell at him.
(00:08:16) - Let's jump into Part 7, AKA There's a Body All Right.
(00:10:10) - Some solid meat right out of the gate. Stop giggling.
(00:21:20) - Andy is on the case of the hit-and-run, and Frank's sick desk.
(00:29:21) - Back to Buckhorn, where there's a body, all right.
(00:32:51) - Gordon whistles some Rammstein, and Diane is brought into the fold.
(00:44:47) - Diane grills Mr. C.
(00:50:57) - Andy's guy never shows, and Warden Murphy accepts Mr. C's invitation.
(00:57:33) - Detectives Fusco arrive with some vehicular questions.
(01:02:57) - The Spike attacks!
(01:06:01) - A hum in the walls of the Great Northern.
(01:10:15) - A man sweeps, and a Renault does something scummy.
(01:14:17) - Mr. C absconds with Ray, and we close out at the Double R.
(01:19:25) - Getting ready for Part 8.
(01:21:11) - Break!
(01:21:54) - We're back! And before we launch into Part 8, here's a minor correction.
(01:23:28) - OK, let's do this thing.
(01:29:17) - Mr. C and Ray make their escape. Sort of.
(01:35:32) - Ray makes his move.
(01:43:31) - The Nextlander Watchcast is proud to welcome The Nine Inch Nails.
(01:50:29) - Meanwhile, in New Mexico (in 1945).
(02:02:50) - Welcome to the Cool Zone.
(02:12:42) - Eleven years later...
(02:27:28) - Final thoughts.
(02:37:48) - Setting up for next week's episodes.
(02:41:03) - Outro.

93: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 5 & 6 Jun 03, 2024

On this week's Watchcast we're up to parts five and six in The Return, and we're meeting all kinds of new folks from Las Vegas to Philadelphia, and all the South Dakotas in between. And only some of those folks die horrifically!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 093: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 5 & 6
(00:00:48) - Intro.
(00:03:38) - Vinny has questions.
(00:10:57) - Kicking things off with Part 5, AKA Case Files.
(00:14:18) - Well, now we know what that headless body ate.
(00:17:40) - He's still with us.
(00:20:27) - Mike Nelson got old and square, and Sheriff Truman's wife is very upset.
(00:25:12) - Everybody wants Dougie's car, and Dougie goes to work.
(00:33:21) - Here come the Mitchum brothers.
(00:37:58) - Car go boom, key gets mailed.
(00:40:45) - Our first real visit to the Double R.
(00:47:14) - Someone forgot to pick up Dougie, Hawk and Andy continue the work, and Jacoby is a streamer.
(00:52:44) - Meanwhile...at the Pentagon?!?
(00:56:40) - The Trouble with Richard.
(01:01:17) - Tammy inspects Cooper's fingerprints, and Mr. C makes a call.
(01:07:01) - Break!
(01:07:24) - We're back! Part 6! Don't Die!
(01:15:53) - Mike has another message. Don't die! Also, Albert finds his target.
(01:22:06) - Richard and Red.
(01:27:00) - Carl! The giggling German waitress! Some kid!
(01:36:25) - Duncan Todd gets a message, of sorts, and here comes Ike the Spike.
(01:38:54) - Cooper/Dougie delivers his homework.
(01:41:46) - Janey-E lays the smackdown.
(01:45:36) - Loraine, we hardly knew ye.
(01:48:55) - Hawk makes a discovery (and so does Brad).
(01:55:41) - Closing out the episode with Sharon Van Etten, and final thoughts.
(02:05:44) - A little housekeeping for next week's episodes, and outro.

92: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 3 & 4 May 27, 2024

We dive further into Twin Peaks' final season and take a fantastic voyage with our good friend Agent Cooper through time, space, and the electrical grid.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 092: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 3 & 4
(00:00:18) - Intro, and early thoughts.
(00:12:36) - Gathering our thoughts to kick off Part 3, or Call for Help.
(00:17:26) - Cooper's not-so-fantastic voyage.
(00:25:29) - She's an American Girl, but is she Ronette?
(00:28:27) - Mr. C tries to hold it in, and we meet Dougie Jones.
(00:37:33) - Cooper comes in through the outlet.
(00:43:38) - Something real badwrong happening in Mr. C's car. Meanwhile, in Twin Peaks...
(00:48:58) - The longest two minutes in Twin Peaks history.
(00:50:41) - Helloooooo Mr. Jackpots.
(00:56:09) - Cole! Albert! Tammy! The Cactus Blossoms!
(01:05:47) - Break!
(01:06:07) - We're back, and it's time for Part 4, or, ...Brings Back Some Memories.
(01:16:07) - Off to Lancelot Court to meet Janey-E and Sonny Jim.
(01:21:07) - Cole goes to see an old friend.
(01:27:45) - Sheriff Truman! Wait...Sheriff Truman?
(01:36:55) - Wally Brando.
(01:44:57) - Dougie gets a message and enjoys a jazz breakfast.
(01:49:42) - Classified fingerprints.
(01:52:32) - Face to face with Mr. C, and Cole wants to bring someone in.
(02:04:51) - Au Revoir Simone, and final thoughts.
(02:10:34) - Outro.

91: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 1 & 2 May 20, 2024

It's been a long road getting to Twin Peaks: The Return, but let's all just be glad we didn't have to wait 25 years like everyone else. Join us as we dive into Twin Peaks' final season to learn what all our favorite residents are up to, what happened to Agent Cooper, and what the hell is in that big glass box.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 091: Twin Peaks: The Return Parts 1 & 2
(00:00:27) - Intro.
(00:05:28) - A bit about what's gone on in the previous 25 years.
(00:16:20) - Some of the people we lost during that time, and will lose before all is said and done.
(00:19:25) - Kicking things off with Part 1, or My Log Has a Message for You.
(00:27:28) - Dr. Jacoby gets shovels, and New York City?!?
(00:35:45) - Them rowdy Horne boys are back, albeit in less rowdy form.
(00:40:23) - Mr. C.
(00:43:24) - Sam and Tracy's big date.
(00:51:40) - Taking a little jaunt to Buckhorn, South Dakota.
(00:57:15) - Our first visit with the Log Lady.
(01:01:25) - Matthew Lillard, what have you done? And some talk about Cooper's status in the world.
(01:05:22) - The interrogation of Bill Hastings.
(01:09:22) - Break!
(01:09:44) - We are back, and it's time for Part 2, otherwise known as The Stars Turn and A Time Presents Itself.
(01:15:21) - Mr. C kills Bill's wife.
(01:17:46) - This guy! It's that guy!
(01:21:51) - Mr. C doesn't need. Mr. C wants.
(01:26:17) - Hawk visits the circle, and Cooper is visited by some old friends.
(01:40:54) - Mr. C goes a killin'.
(01:52:05) - Cooper's flight from the Red Room and journey into the beyond.
(01:56:52) - Sarah Palmer drinks, and James' Cool Status.
(02:04:47) - Final thoughts (and questions).
(02:12:01) - Outro.

BONUS: Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (2014) May 06, 2024

For all you Twin Peaks superfans out there, enjoy this very special bonus Watchcast where we talk about the various deleted and extended scenes from Fire Walk With Me.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Bonus Episode 001: Twin Peaks: The Missing Pieces (2014
(00:00:17) - Intro.
(00:04:00) - How The Missing Pieces came into existence.
(00:09:23) - Kicking things off with the added Chester Desmond material.
(00:14:06) - Diane?!?
(00:17:40) - Give us all the Bowie we can handle.
(00:23:53) - A few miscellaneous scenes.
(00:28:30) - Falling in love with Dell Mibbler.
(00:31:00) - More time at the Double R, and checking in with the Haywards.
(00:35:19) - Checking in with The Arm, and BOB is in the ceiling fan.
(00:37:33) - If only these Ed and Norma scenes were necessary. And taking the ride to Canada.
(00:40:46) - More with Teresa Banks, more key bumps, and our first check-in with the Twin Peaks cops.
(00:44:03) - More of the aftermath from Bobby's homicide, and Dr. Jacoby checks in.
(00:47:32) - A vital dose of Vitamin Briggs, and our one Lucy moment.
(00:50:34) - A truly terrifying Leland moment.
(00:52:01) - The last handful of scenes.
(00:57:25) - Where we go from here.
(01:03:23) - Outro.

90: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992) May 06, 2024

Our watch-through of Twin Peaks: The Return is visible on the horizon, but before we can get there, we've got to go back to where it all began. Join us as we learn about the Blue Rose, meet Phillip Jeffries, and witness the final tormented days of Laura Palmer.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 080: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me (1992)
(00:00:34) - Intro.
(00:02:38) - Some early reactions and attempts to figure into the Twin Peaks canon.
(00:07:20) - The three picture deal that never came to be.
(00:11:04) - What this movie does for Laura's story, and how it reframes Leland.
(00:20:40) - Additional production notes, including casting changes.
(00:25:34) - How Fire Walk With Me was received at the time.
(00:30:34) - Doing a quick brother check-in before we launch into the film proper.
(00:34:04) - Break!
(00:34:33) - We're back, and it's time to meet Chester Desmond.
(00:44:29) - Dealing with the Deer Meadow cops, and that gosh darned fingernail.
(00:49:57) - Do not wake Harry Dean Stanton.
(00:51:23) - The disappearance of Chet Desmond, and the arrival of Phillip Jeffries.
(01:01:30) - One year later.
(01:11:15) - The diary, and what Laura knows about BOB.
(01:17:45) - Playing around with time.
(01:21:53) - Laura abandons Meals on Wheels, has a terrible dinner.
(01:29:41) - Laura's dream.
(01:34:38) - This is where we live, Shelly!
(01:37:24) - Roadhouse artist in residence: Julee Cruise.
(01:39:52) - The Pink Room.
(01:46:27) - The one-armed man appears.
(01:53:17) - Bobby finally gets around to killing a guy.
(01:56:37) - James is almost redeemable in this thing.
(01:57:49) - BOB is unmasked.
(02:04:33) - The last night of Laura's life.
(02:07:38) - The murder.
(02:15:18) - Laura gets her angel.
(02:19:25) - Final thoughts (and questions).
(02:27:38) - Outro.

89: Mission: Impossible (1996) Apr 29, 2024

On this week's Watchcast we dive deep into the movie that kicked off Tom Cruise's obsession with crafting exciting near death experiences for himself in Brian De Palma's Mission: Impossible!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 89: Mission: Impossible (1996)
(00:00:36) - Intro.
(00:02:03) - What is our familiarity with any version of Mission: Impossible.
(00:04:54) - A little bit of M:I history.
(00:11:14) - How this movie came to be (and some discussion of The Tom Cruise Experience).
(00:19:24) - Talking about writers, and writing.
(00:25:43) - Pressing the Tom Cruise button.
(00:28:41) - Last production notes.
(00:32:32) - How did the TV cast feel about this movie? Well...
(00:36:50) - Break!
(00:37:13) - We're back! Let's dig into everything going on in Mission: Impossible.
(00:43:05) - Setting up the next (and final) mission for some of this team.
(00:53:43) - Time to go to work.
(00:56:47) - EVERYBODY'S DEAD.
(01:02:18) - M:I gadgetry.
(01:04:25) - Tom Cruise discovers Usenet.
(01:11:40) - Claire's back, so let's go meet Max.
(01:21:02) - The Langley Job.
(01:37:21) - We have a NOC list, and suddenly, Jim Phelps!
(01:48:37) - Let's jump on a train. And off a train. And onto a helicopter. And then off the helicopter back onto the train.
(02:06:12) - Folks, we have a franchise.
(02:08:10) - Final thoughts.
(02:15:38) - Talking about next week's film: Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me.
(02:20:10) - Outro.

88: Dragnet (1987) Apr 22, 2024

On this week's Watchcast we scrutinize the ridiculous 1987 movie version of TV's driest cop show, Dragnet! And in the process Vinny and Alex try their best to figure out why the heck this movie, of all movies, holds so much real estate in their brains.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 88: Dragnet (1987)
(00:00:37) - Intro.
(00:02:07) - Goofball Hanks vs. Dramatic Hanks.
(00:05:45) - Talking about old Dragnet.
(00:11:22) - Did any of us know the show at all? And where does this movie fit in the lineage of cop comedies?
(00:18:43) - Some (limited) production notes.
(00:22:06) - Our (mostly) all-star cast.
(00:29:09) - The chapter you've all been waiting for.
(00:38:29) - Why don't they make Dragnets anymore.
(00:42:04) - Break!
(00:42:25) - We're back, let's set some pornos on fire and get Tom Hanks in here.
(00:49:59) - The nature of P.A.G.A.N.
(00:54:59) - The interrogation of Emil Muzz.
(00:57:47) - Grab your goat leggings, it's party time.
(01:06:56) - How do you top a P.A.G.A.N. party? You don't.
(01:11:44) - Grandma Mundy and the Brown Derby.
(01:16:59) - Pep to the rescue, and trying to piece together this evil plot.
(01:25:04) - Party at the Bait mansion.
(01:31:55) - To the airport!
(01:36:16) - A reverend arrested is a virgin saved.
(01:38:38) - Final thoughts.
(01:44:19) - Our film for next week: Mission: Impossible!
(01:47:54) - Outro.

87: Beavis & Butt-Head Do America (1996) Apr 15, 2024

On this week's Watchcast we kick off a month of TV-related movies with the first trip to the big screen for a beloved pair of cartoon dumbasses in Beavis & Butt-Head Do America!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 87: Beavis & Butt-Head Do America (1996)
(00:00:12) - Intro.
(00:01:27) - What does Beavis & Butt-Head mean to us?
(00:10:10) - The music video (and reality show) riffs, and Mike Judge's voices.
(00:15:10) - The various controversies.
(00:21:20) - Liquid Television origins, and the show's limited availability.
(00:25:27) - Pelting Vinny and Brad with Beavis & Butt-Head related questions.
(00:35:10) - Getting into the movie's production history.
(00:41:30) - Our all-star cast.
(00:46:35) - Break!
(00:46:58) - We're back, and it's time to study Butt-head's giant crotch.
(00:51:22) - Theme song talk.
(00:53:18) - A brief stop at Highland High, and meeting Muddy.
(00:58:31) - Our journey across America begins.
(00:59:46) - Arriving in Vegas, and soundtrack talk.
(01:03:53) - Beavis & Butt-Head Don't Do Dallas.
(01:06:49) - On a bus tour to destroy America's landmarks, and Tom Anderson's life.
(01:12:04) - Lost in the desert.
(01:16:42) - Throwing Beavis from a moving trunk.
(01:18:42) - It's all going down in Washington.
(01:24:22) - White House Dumb.
(01:29:20) - The final stand-off.
(01:30:41) - A kindred spirit in Bill Clinton.
(01:32:54) - Finally, the boys are united with their one true love.
(01:34:16) - Final thoughts.
(01:39:16) - Talking about next week's movie: Dragnet!
(01:42:09) - Outro.

86: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) Apr 08, 2024

We close out our month of '90s hero flicks with the heroes in the half shell! Join us as we dive deep into Turtlemania and ponder the strange edges of this surprisingly solid rubber suit turtle movie.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 86: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990
(00:00:14) - Intro.
(00:02:21) - What level of Turtles fandom are we operating at, and some talk about the comic origins.
(00:05:55) - Toy talk, and discussions of censorship around the cartoon and movie.
(00:11:44) - The movie's production history.
(00:21:30) - The animatronic suits.
(00:36:19) - Soundtrack talk, and sequel talk.
(00:44:54) - Break!
(00:45:14) - Cowabunga, we're back!
(00:48:26) - (Roger Daltry voice) TEENAGE CRIME WAVE!
(00:53:31) - The boys achieve their first victory.
(00:59:10) - Casey Jones you'd better watch your swing.
(01:04:45) - The Danny problem.
(01:08:35) - Half (shell) of the turtles' origin story.
(01:12:44) - Splinter gets rat-napped.
(01:15:04) - Sam Rockwell?!?
(01:16:51) - A very ridiculous Shredder.
(01:22:45) - Raiding April's apartment.
(01:26:01) - Splinter tries to get through to Danny.
(01:28:59) - A nice trip to the country.
(01:37:13) - Sewer sweet sewer, and Casey goes on a sneaking mission.
(01:39:57) - The second half (shell) of the origin story.
(01:45:04) - Racing toward our final battle.
(01:51:34) - The final showdown with Shredder.
(02:00:14) - Final thoughts.
(02:08:07) - What's coming up on the Watchcast.
(02:12:26) - Outro.

85: Batman (1989) Apr 01, 2024

On this week's Watchcast we tackle the mother of all comic book blockbusters in Tim Burton's Batman! Join us as we talk Nicholson's Joker, the Keat-dawg, cool gadgets, and all that sweet, sweet merchandise.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 85: Batman (1989)
(00:00:27) - Intro.
(00:01:44) - The status of superhero movies when Batman came around.
(00:07:13) - The cultural phenomenon that was this movie, and some thoughts on its tone.
(00:10:24) - Talkin' Jokers past and present.
(00:18:27) - Where we were at when Batman came out, and what merchadise did we partake of.
(00:27:46) - The movie's production history.
(00:38:25) - Our cast, and how the Keat-dawg got the part.
(00:51:20) - Why Tim Burton didn't stick around past the first sequel.
(00:54:08) - Some additional production notes.
(00:57:26) - Talking about the soundtrack, both Elfman and Prince.
(01:04:18) - Somehow, Warner claims this lost money.
(01:09:38) - Break!
(01:10:09) - We're back, and it's time to actually talk about this movie!
(01:15:44) - The introduction of Jack Napier and Vicki Vale.
(01:22:36) - #@&%ing Eckhardt.
(01:27:43) - Raiding Axis Chemicals.
(01:38:55) - Bruce and Vicki get together.
(01:43:20) - Here comes the Joker!
(01:49:54) - The Joker's sick crime table.
(01:55:00) - Hired goons?!?
(02:00:19) - The Joker's grand plan.
(02:05:13) - A bad night at the museum.
(02:11:31) - And we are off to the Batcave.
(02:16:53) - Let's get nuts.
(02:22:04) - The reveal of Bruce Wayne's childhood trauma.
(02:29:50) - Let's go blow up a chemical factory, then we can have a Prince party.
(02:38:14) - Our cathedral climax.
(02:49:52) - Tune in next time for the continuing adventures of Batman and Vicki Vale!
(02:52:17) - Final thoughts.
(03:00:42) - Outro.

84: The Phantom (1996) Mar 25, 2024

We continue to push through our current spate of '90s hero flicks, and this week we attempt to sate a deep need for more Billy Zane in our lives with the 1996 comic strip adaptation The Phantom! Did we enjoy watching him Slam Evil? Not so much, but we did have fun talking about it!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 84: The Phantom (1996)
(00:00:36) - Intro.
(00:03:32) - Taking the 20,000 foot view of this very ridiculous movie.
(00:11:46) - Getting into the production history.
(00:22:12) - Launching into this grand-ish adventure, and the movie's history of the Phantom.
(00:27:02) - The opening jungle action sequence.
(00:30:50) - Joining our hero and his ghost dad in the Skull Cave.
(00:34:38) - Meanwhile, at the Playboy Mansion.
(00:44:06) - Break!
(00:44:26) - We're back, and we cleared up Vinny's phantom, uh, Phantom t-shirt.
(00:45:49) - Drax confronts a librarian.
(00:50:32) - Catherine Zeta-Jones' sky pirates, and the Phantom to the rescue.
(00:54:42) - Now it's the wolf and the horse to the rescue.
(00:59:12) - My friends, "The Rope People."
(01:02:56) - The Phantom takes Manhattan.
(01:10:15) - A very disrespectful museum trip.
(01:14:36) - Diana gets kidnapped, the Phantom gives chase.
(01:21:00) - The Phantom hangs on for dear life, and we arrive at magical pirate island.
(01:32:01) - Let's fight some pirates and unite some skulls.
(01:38:49) - It was Kit Walker all along! Who knew?!?
(01:43:23) - Final thoughts.
(01:51:18) - Tracking the path of Billy Zane.
(01:53:37) - Outro.

83: The Crow (1994) Mar 18, 2024

On this week's show we work our way through a movie that looms large in Alex's mind, The Crow! Does it hold up to Alex's memory? We discuss that and much more, including the incredible soundtrack, and the air of tragedy that permeates the entire production.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 83: The Crow (1994)
(00:00:39) - Intro.
(00:03:43) - Talking a bit about James O'Barr's comic, and the undercurrent of tragedy attached to all of this.
(00:09:44) - Some early impressions and thoughts.
(00:17:18) - Getting into the film's production history.
(00:24:15) - Talking about our cast.
(00:29:01) - The death of Brandon Lee.
(00:39:18) - The aftermath, the soundtrack, and the movie's unusually long cultural shadow.
(00:48:28) - The incredibly awful succession of sequels.
(00:59:34) - Break!
(01:00:03) - We're back, and let's get into the movie itself.
(01:06:17) - One year later.
(01:12:53) - T-Bird and his gang of assholes.
(01:17:05) - First up for death: Tin Tin.
(01:20:07) - Here comes Top Dollar.
(01:24:49) - Goodbye Gideon's Pawn Shop.
(01:32:44) - It's Funboy's turn.
(01:37:47) - Swooping in on Albrecht.
(01:41:37) - Gideon mouths off to the wrong guy, and Sarah puts on a record.
(01:44:17) - The spectacular death of T-Bird.
(01:49:31) - Sarah and her mom reconcile, Albrecht is suspended, and Sarah goes to visit Eric.
(01:53:15) - Eric's last guitar solo, and the Devil's Night club shootout.
(02:07:30) - The Crow is ready to go, but it ain't over yet.
(02:16:44) - The wrap-up, and final thoughts.
(02:21:53) - Outro.

82: The Rocketeer (1991) Mar 11, 2024

Our journey through '90s hero flicks kicks off in earnest this week, and we do mean earnest, as we take on Disney's gee-golly-aw-shucks adaptation of The Rocketeer!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 82: The Rocketeer (1991)
(00:00:17) - Intro.
(00:03:09) - Introducing our film for the week: The Rocketeer!
(00:12:46) - When we saw The Rocketeer, if we had seen it before.
(00:16:01) - The film's long and winding production history.
(00:28:05) - Talking about our cast.
(00:34:14) - The remaining production notes.
(00:39:40) - Break!
(00:40:03) - We're back! Let's talk about what actually happens in this movie.
(00:52:31) - Finding the iconic jetpack.
(00:55:16) - Sinclair and the mobsters refuse to explain what the heck they actually want.
(00:58:28) - And introducing: Jenny!
(01:05:47) - The longwinded Nazi set-up, and Lothar starts cracking backs.
(01:10:52) - Gaining the iconic helmet.
(01:12:04) - Making movie magic.
(01:14:14) - The Rocketeer (finally) saves the day, and the gunfight with Lothar and the FBI.
(01:18:02) - The club scene.
(01:25:13) - Jenny puts one over on Sinclair.
(01:30:37) - You can't stop this rocket man.
(01:33:16) - Nazis storm Los Angeles!
(01:43:28) - Shame about the jetpack, but here's a new plane.
(01:47:18) - Final thoughts.
(01:50:01) - Outro.

81: Darkman (1990) Mar 04, 2024

We're closing out February with a Vinny pick, and one of the most delightfully weird and gross hero movies of the '90s in Sam Raimi's not-quite-a-Batman, Darkman!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 81: Darkman (1990)
(00:00:19) - Intro.
(00:09:03) - Getting into Darkman's production, and the cast.
(00:20:40) - The direct-to-video sequels, and how well the movie did in theaters.
(00:27:05) - The killer intro.
(00:31:47) - Peyton Westlake's previous life, and the memo of doom.
(00:43:39) - Peyton becomes the Darkman.
(00:48:33) - Break!
(00:48:54) - We're back, and we're dissolving into funerals and burn units.
(00:57:50) - Rebuilding the lab.
(01:00:40) - Strack puts the moves on Julie, and Darkman kills Ted Raimi (more like Dead Raimi!)
(01:08:01) - Darkman has a plan.
(01:17:34) - Revealing his new face to Julie.
(01:20:39) - The ol' Double Durant.
(01:25:32) - The carnival scene.
(01:31:41) - Strack reveals his true intentions, and Durant's "demise".
(01:38:00) - The final confrontation with Strack.
(01:49:36) - Final thoughts.
(01:54:59) - Plans for next month.
(01:59:53) - Outro.

80: Dick Tracy (1990) Feb 26, 2024

To round out the month of February, Brad and Vinny have each picked a film they most wanted to revisit for the podcast, and Brad's pick is the colorfully outsized comic strip adaptation Dick Tracy! Join us as we discuss Tommy Guns, Pacino's scenery chewing habits, and Warren Beatty's extracurricular activities wearing the trademark hat and coat.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 80: Dick Tracy (1990)
(00:00:25) - Intro.
(00:09:54) - How into Dick Tracy were we when we saw it as kids?
(00:16:39) - Getting into the bizarre production history of the movie.
(00:27:43) - Disney's lofty Batman goals, and discussion of the soundtrack.
(00:30:59) - On the film's visual style and lack of computer effects, and discussion of the cast.
(00:38:09) - Where has Dick Tracy been all these years since the movie? In Warren Beatty's closet, apparently.
(00:48:23) - Break!
(00:48:44) - We're back! Let's actually talk about what happens in the film.
(00:55:28) - Setting the tone with a bunch of weird guys getting shot the hell up.
(01:02:00) - Big Boy wants to own all the crime.
(01:07:56) - Good old Mumbles, and even more discussion of the ridiculously stacked cast.
(01:15:30) - Dick wants Big Boy. Big Boy wants to be a choreographer. Breathless wants Dick.
(01:23:13) - The montages are the best parts of the movie.
(01:25:06) - Trying to kill Dick Tracy like he's Bugs Bunny, and the introduction of No Face/The Blank.
(01:34:23) - The frame job.
(01:37:54) - The one time Dick Tracy actually feels like a human being.
(01:42:38) - The OTHER frame job, and the final confrontation.
(01:52:55) - Here's lookin' at you, Tess.
(01:54:31) - Final thoughts.
(02:04:54) - Outro.

79: Twin Peaks: Miss Twin Peaks and Beyond Life and Death Feb 19, 2024

This is it, folks. We have arrived at the Black Lodge, and the finale of Twin Peaks' second season. It's been a hell of a journey up to this point, but please do join us one more time as we gather under the sycamores and piece together the wild events of the original series' final two episodes.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 79: Twin Peaks: Miss Twin Peaks, and Beyond Life and Death
(00:04:04) - Intro.
(00:09:16) - Leading off with the story of the show's cancellation, and the attempts to save it.
(00:17:52) - Kicking things off with Miss Twin Peaks.
(00:20:27) - Leo frees Briggs, and incurs Earle's (extremely stupid) wrath.
(00:22:52) - Norma tells her girls she wants to see them win Miss Twin Peaks, and Audrey laments her lost love.
(00:31:24) - Andy studies the petroglyph, Cooper reveals his vision when Josie died.
(00:35:17) - Leo's fate, such as it is. And Tim Pinkle returns as a lousy choreographer.
(00:39:29) - Annie does not have the juice.
(00:43:04) - A brief check-in on Nadine's ongoing nonsense.
(00:47:30) - Andrew is a goofball, and Donna freaks out on her parents.
(00:50:57) - Cooper deciphers more of the petroglyph, and Andy accidentally uncovers Earle's bug.
(00:55:41) - The pageant finally arrives.
(01:09:05) - Andy wins Lucy's love, and Earle hatches his master plan.
(01:23:09) - Break!
(01:23:45) - We're back, and this is it folks. The finale, Beyond Life and Death.
(01:39:52) - The aftermath of the pageant.
(01:47:17) - The grand conclusion of the Nadine saga.
(01:54:07) - The considerably less grand conclusion to the Donna saga.
(02:03:08) - Andrew is up to some nonsense, and Pete wants in. And Cooper and Harry find the portal.
(02:07:50) - The strange events at Twin Peaks Savings & Loan.
(02:15:47) - My grieving widow has a message for you.
(02:18:18) - Welcome to the Black Lodge.
(02:39:55) - How's Annie?
(02:47:45) - Final thoughts.
(02:50:59) - Discussing at greater length the changes Lynch made to the shooting script, and a little bit of (non-spoiler) forward looking.
(03:01:14) - Announcing when we will return to Twin Peaks, and what the last two weeks of this month will be.
(03:06:14) - Outro.

78: Twin Peaks: On the Wings of Love, Variations and Relations, and The Path to the Black Lodge Feb 12, 2024

The path to the Black Lodge has been winding and occasionally pointless, but we've never been closer to breaking this whole Twin Peaks mystery open. Join us as we pick through the worthwhile parts of these episodes before next week's two-episode finale!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 78: Twin Peaks: On the Wings of Love, Variations and Relations, and The Path to the Black Lodge.
(00:00:23) - Intro.
(00:06:03) - Kicking things off with On the Wings of Love.
(00:07:57) - Miss Jones: Expert Assassin.
(00:11:55) - Billy Zane: Charming Doof.
(00:14:10) - The Bonsai Subterfuge, and Gordon's inexplicable ability to hear Shelly.
(00:24:30) - The Annie Conundrum.
(00:27:53) - A bunch of Earle stuff, and Donna is back on the hunt.
(00:32:05) - Audrey goes to Seattle, Jack is in love with Audrey, Ben is eating carrots.
(00:35:50) - Spelunking into Owl Cave.
(00:40:19) - Break!
(00:40:50) - We're back, and it's time for Variations and Relations (not Variations on Relations,
as I say incorrectly).
(00:43:53) - Rusty's doom.
(00:49:40) - Andy's art, Pete's poetry, and puzzle boxes.
(00:56:23) - Back at the Double R.
(01:03:08) - Dick's wine tasting escapades, Ben's pitch for Miss Twin Peaks, and Cole steals a kiss.
(01:12:34) - Coop and Jack's only meeting.
(01:17:21) - Donna grills her mom, and the HOWLER of an ending.
(01:22:29) - Break 2!
(01:22:54) - We're back, and we're on The Path to the Black Lodge!
(01:27:50) - Lucy's entering Miss Twin Peaks, and Ben and Doc Hayward have a confrontation.
(01:35:53) - Earle's video log, and Leo's ill-conceived escape attempt.
(01:40:39) - Bobby finally realizes he sucks, and the tremors begin.
(01:44:14) - Audrey sees Jack one more time.
(01:46:58) - The stupidest abduction in TV history.
(01:49:39) - Annie, you're in danger.
(01:52:20) - The red drapes stinger.
(01:56:26) - Final thoughts.
(02:03:53) - Outro.

77: Twin Peaks: Slaves and Masters, The Condemned Woman, and Wounds and Scars Feb 05, 2024

We haven't found our way to the Black Lodge in Twin Peaks, but we are in a very dark place as we try to sort out just what the hell is going on in Slaves and Masters, The Condemned Woman, and Wounds and Scars.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 77: Twin Peaks: Slaves and Masters, The Condemned Woman, and Wounds and Scars
(00:00:19) - Intro.
(00:08:12) - Kicking things off with Slaves and Masters.
(00:13:21) - Let's just get all this James stuff out of the way.
(00:24:21) - Bobby reveals his affair with Shelly and that he saw Leo's shooting.
(00:27:12) - The Windom Problem.
(00:32:11) - Checking in with Ed and Norma.
(00:39:39) - We're finally done with this Ben Civil War garbage.
(00:42:53) - A message from Earle to close it out.
(00:44:44) - Break!
(00:45:06) - Don't get your drawers in a bunch, we're back! And it's time for The Condemned Woman.
(00:51:25) - Pete goes full Chessmaster.
(00:55:26) - Audrey meets Jack.
(00:58:18) - Nadine breaks up with Ed, and Norma demands her divorce.
(01:03:15) - Ben has a new project.
(01:06:56) - A couple of random goings-on, and James forgets to act again.
(01:13:47) - The ladies converge on the Roadhouse.
(01:15:29) - The end of the Josie Saga.
(01:37:06) - A brief epilogue about where the show is at in the popular consciousness at this
moment.
(01:38:56) - Second break!
(01:39:40) - We're back, and closing things out with Wounds and Scars.
(01:44:29) - Harry sad.
(01:49:18) - Annie Blackburn comes to town, and The Log Lady sees Briggs' mark.
(01:55:13) - Leo has been subjugated, and Earle is a crank.
(02:03:46) - Infatuations, realizations, and chess machinations.
(02:07:13) - Cooper brings Harry back from the brink.
(02:10:31) - The fashion show.
(02:15:57) - Jones from outta nowhere.
(02:18:37) - Final thoughts.
(02:23:08) - Outro.

76: Twin Peaks: The Black Widow, Checkmate, and Double Play Jan 29, 2024

For our first Twin Peaks three-banger, we play a deadly game of chess, confront at least one big bad before introducing another, and wallow in the muck of James drama.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 76: Twin Peaks: The Black Widow, Checkmate, and Double Play
(00:00:23) - Intro.
(00:03:40) - Kicking things off with The Black Widow.
(00:08:19) - Ben begins his Civil War era.
(00:12:19) - Lana's ongoing...thing?
(00:17:52) - Cooper's interest in local real estate.
(00:26:15) - The Andy, Dick, and Lucy Show.
(00:30:27) - JAMES SAD. JAMES LEAVE. JAMES MAYBE NOT LEAVE ACTUALLY.
(00:33:38) - Checking in with Catherine, Pete, and Josie.
(00:37:08) - Nadine joins the wrestling team, nearly kills Mike. And Ed and Norma begin
rearranging their lives.
(00:41:29) - Movement on the Briggs disappearance.
(00:49:37) - Break!
(00:49:58) - We're back, and it's time for Checkmate.
(00:59:38) - Andy and Dick take on a sneaking mission.
(01:01:03) - Back on the Ed and Norma train.
(01:04:58) - Meanwhile, in Jamestown.
(01:10:40) - One brief check in on Josie, and Ben's derangement continues.
(01:16:05) - The sting operation begins.
(01:24:04) - Twin Peaks briefly becomes a slasher movie, and Earle makes his move.
(01:29:20) - Break 2!
(01:29:40) - We're back, and it's time for Double Play!
(01:37:03) - Deciphering Earle's motives.
(01:45:26) - A quick touch-base on the Audrey/Bobby/Ben stuff.
(01:46:58) - Leo gains teleportation powers and nearly kills Shelly.
(01:49:26) - One more episode of the Andy, Dick, and Lucy show.
(01:52:07) - We are positively drowning in James drama.
(01:57:59) - A couple of quick check-ins before the end.
(02:01:50) - Lana and the mayor hash it out.
(02:05:59) - Catherine lets Pete in on the conspiracy.
(02:09:22) - Earle finally shows his face.
(02:13:03) - Final thoughts.
(02:14:42) - Outro.

75: Twin Peaks: Dispute Between Brothers and The Masked Ball Jan 22, 2024

We told you when this Twin Peaks journey began that one day we'd be in for it. Folks, we're in it.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 75: Twin Peaks: Dispute Between Brothers and The Masked Ball.
(00:00:18) - Intro.
(00:07:44) - Kicking things off with Dispute Between Brothers.
(00:14:08) - This was not the dispute between brothers we were expecting.
(00:16:49) - Checking in with everyone at the funeral.
(00:20:24) - Nadine is evolving.
(00:27:09) - Cooper is accused of malfeasance.
(00:42:12) - Bobby tries to play grown-up, and Catherine goes public.
(00:49:51) - Andy tries to make peace.
(00:52:58) - Vivian's shocking reveal!
(00:58:40) - Hank and Ernie have become unexpectedly rowdy.
(01:02:13) - Josie's back, and Cooper and Briggs go nightfishing.
(01:07:14) - Break!
(01:07:44) - We're back, and it's time for The Masked Ball.
(01:14:53) - On the road with James...
(01:22:08) - Briggs' wife spills what beans she has.
(01:24:57) - Big man is on the phone, and Cooper refuses to mount a defense.
(01:30:23) - Nadine has the hots for Mike Nelson, and Dick gets himself a little brother.
(01:36:32) - More mentions of The White Lodge, and Denise arrives in Twin Peaks.
(01:44:21) - Josie (sort of) confesses.
(01:50:00) - Hank and Ernie return, and Ben is broken.
(01:55:20) - Windom Earle makes his voice heard.
(01:58:10) - Dougie marries a teenager.
(02:01:10) - Catherine is subjugating Josie, and by gawd King, that's [REDACTED]'s music!
(02:11:48) - Final thoughts.
(02:12:22) - Outro.

74: Twin Peaks: Drive with a Dead Girl and Arbitrary Law Jan 15, 2024

Last week's Watchcast featured one of the all-time Twin Peaks bombshells, and now it's up to us to pick through the aftermath in the episodes Drive with a Dead Girl, and Arbitrary Law.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 74: Twin Peaks: Drive with a Dead Girl and Arbitrary Law
(00:00:14) - Intro.
(00:12:26) - Kicking things off with Drive with a Dead Girl.
(00:17:35) - Leland golfs menacingly.
(00:23:27) - Jerry retuns from Japan.
(00:28:59) - The arrival of Gwen, and Leland lives it up at the Great Northern.
(00:35:46) - Interrogating Ben, and Bobby's brief blackmail moment.
(00:42:15) - Norma's mom comes to town, and Mike (briefly) escapes.
(00:49:34) - Pete gets in the mix.
(00:57:05) - Leland drives like an asshole, and Andy tells off Gwen.
(01:01:55) - Doing some Bob dowsing on Ben with Mike. Harry's had enough.
(01:05:29) - Ernie has a secret.
(01:09:39) - Audrey's only appearance in these episodes, and Maddy is found.
(01:11:51) - Break!
(01:12:16) - We're back, and it's time for Arbitrary Law. Buckle up.
(01:17:16) - Cooper needs 24 hours, Albert says go with God.
(01:19:36) - Meanwhile, back at the diner...
(01:24:47) - Harold's last contribution.
(01:30:46) - Mike helps as best he can.
(01:36:11) - Ben's office is searched, and the blood test results are in. Also, introducing Chekov's fire supression system.
(01:39:48) - One last ride with Mr. Tojamura.
(01:44:48) - Donna almost gets herself killed.
(01:52:04) - Summoning the giant.
(01:58:26) - Bob's last ride with Leland.
(02:14:25) - The investigators are left to grapple with what they are truly seeking out.
(02:21:15) - Final thoughts.
(02:23:54) - Outro.

73: Twin Peaks: Demons and Lonely Souls Jan 08, 2024

It's 2024 and we're back in Twin Peaks! We've just experienced two incredibly pivotal episodes in Demons and Lonely Souls. How do we feel after what we've just witnessed? You'll have to listen to find out!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 73: Twin Peaks: Demons and Lonely Souls
(00:00:29) - Intro.
(00:04:37) - Kicking things off with Demons.
(00:12:57) - Audrey's OK, Ben is relieved, but is it about Audrey? Or the money?
(00:20:45) - Insurance fraud intensifies.
(00:25:30) - Donna tells Harry about the diary, and the big man is here!
(00:34:50) - Audrey is not interested in Ben's fatherly affections, and the ticking time bomb of Nadine.
(00:37:02) - Josie gets an ultimatum. Josie wants her money.
(00:40:55) - Maddy says goodbye to James.
(00:45:40) - Josie demands her money.
(00:52:14) - Leo's party, and the first meeting of Cooper and Cole.
(00:55:15) - Leland's back on the horse. Again.
(00:59:57) - Josie leaves. Again.
(01:01:28) - Mike has some things to say.
(01:09:27) - Break!
(01:09:51) - We're back, and buckle up folks, it's time for Lonely Souls.
(01:17:23) - In Bob Iger's own words, why this reveal came when it did.
(01:25:04) - Launching into the episode itself.
(01:32:14) - Bye Harold. We hardly knew you.
(01:34:45) - Our first of multiple distressing scenes at the Palmer home.
(01:40:34) - Audrey confronts Ben.
(01:47:48) - Checking in with Ed, Nadine, Norma, Mike, and Leo's shoes.
(01:52:09) - Cooper reads the tatters of the diary, and Audrey tells him about her dad.
(01:57:38) - The episode's alternating conclusion between the Roadhouse and the Palmers. And Catherine's reveal.
(02:14:58) - Final thoughts.
(02:20:17) - Outro.

72: Twin Peaks: Laura's Secret Diary and The Orchid's Curse Dec 26, 2023

For our last Twin Peaks watch for 2023 we dig into Laura's Secret Diary and The Orchid's Curse, and what we find is a whole lot of Andy's sperm.
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 72: Laura's Secret Diary and The Orchid's Curse
(00:00:23) - Intro.
(00:05:57) - Kicking things off with Laura's Secret Diary.
(00:11:26) - Leland's confession.
(00:16:16) - The Great Clown Andy's sperm follies.
(00:18:49) - M.T. Wentz.
(00:21:08) - Jean brings the ransom demand.
(00:27:33) - Checking in with Donna and Harold.
(00:32:16) - Ben sets Cooper up.
(00:35:19) - Josie's back! And the One-Eyed Jack's crew is up to their usual grimy stuff.
(00:39:44) - Lucy (mostly) confesses, and Cooper needs a Bookhouse Boy.
(00:44:25) - What are you up to, Hank? And Donna and Maddy hatch a plan.
(00:50:20) - Harry and Josie get sexy. A weird guy watches.
(00:52:41) - Judge Sternwood arrives, and Dick Tremayne screws up.
(00:58:41) - Here comes the least defensible thing Twin Peaks ever does.
(01:07:52) - Josie and Jonathan conspire.
(01:11:50) - Blood brother?!?
(01:14:09) - Break!
(01:14:29) - We're back, and it's time for The Orchid's Curse!
(01:19:11) - Hawk's lead goes cold, Lucy leaves town, and Bobby and Shelly go shopping.
(01:23:35) - Roadhouse court.
(01:26:31) - Donna tests Harold's limits.
(01:27:51) - Roadhouse court part 2.
(01:34:00) - Nadine comes home.
(01:36:31) - Mr. Tojamura's offer.
(01:40:02) - Plans are hatched, Andy is the new Lucy, and James gets sidelined.
(01:47:40) - Embarking on the missions.
(02:04:55) - Final thoughts.
(02:06:09) - Outro.

71: Twin Peaks: Coma and The Man Behind Glass Dec 19, 2023

Things are officially popping off in Twin Peaks, and it's up to the Watchcasters to try to sort out the myriad comas, betrayals, kidnappings, terrible musical numbers, and other dark business going on.
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast 071: Twin Peaks: Coma and The Man Behind Glass
(00:01:05) - Intro.
(00:03:56) - Now that we've got a few episodes under our belt, let's see where we're at.
(00:09:28) - Kicking things off with Coma.
(00:18:56) - Ronette can't speak, but she still says volumes.
(00:20:31) - Creamed corn.
(00:24:18) - A meeting of the minds between Major Briggs and the Log Lady.
(00:28:40) - Two ledgers and a cheese pig.
(00:32:23) - Andy's sterility, and Hank's past.
(00:35:39) - Leland sees Bob.
(00:38:09) - Audrey ruins Emory's fetish night.
(00:42:40) - Bobby discovers insurance fraud.
(00:46:27) - Briggs delivers the message.
(00:52:28) - Oh James. You're not talented.
(01:01:08) - Another dream about Bob, and Audrey's in trouble.
(01:04:34) - Break!
(01:05:01) - We're back, and it's time for The Man Behind Glass.
(01:07:47) - Making contact with Harold.
(01:13:14) - The circle of Bob, and Albert's unexpected moment.
(01:20:13) - Leland tells the cops about Bob.
(01:24:11) - On the subject of Dick Tremayne.
(01:29:59) - James and Maddy continue to accidentally make Donna think they're into each other.
(01:32:31) - Jean Renault.
(01:38:13) - The return of the One-Armed Man.
(01:42:59) - Shelley clams up, and Ben goes toe-to-toe with Cooper.
(01:47:08) - Nadine crashes back into the world.
(01:51:33) - The hypnotization of Dr. Jacoby.
(01:56:53) - Donna's graveyard monologue, and James continues to be an idiot. (02:06:04) - The discovery of the diary.
(02:08:34) - Final thoughts.
(02:10:59) - Outro.

70: Twin Peaks: May the Giant Be With You Dec 12, 2023

The strikes are over, which means it's time for us to return to the world of Twin Peaks! Join us as we pore over the season 2 premiere and find out how Agent Cooper gets out of this seemingly fatal mess!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 70: Twin Peaks: May the Giant Be With You
(00:01:58) - Intro.
(00:04:05) - What do we remember from the finale.
(00:13:00) - The state of the show heading into season 2.
(00:19:08) - Starting things as weirdly as possible.
(00:30:38) - How hurt is Cooper? And what else do we know at this point.
(00:36:48) - Some conspicuous personality shifts.
(00:44:48) - The Great Clown Andy.
(00:48:33) - Break!
(00:49:16) - We are back at One-Eyed Jack's!
(00:54:21) - Maddy's vision.
(00:58:11) - Townspeople potpourri, and where we're at with Jacoby.
(01:03:41) - All the goings-on at the hospital.
(01:11:45) - Major Briggs has a heart-to-heart with Bobby.
(01:20:27) - The Third Man, and where Josie's at.
(01:28:07) - Hank and the Hornes.
(01:33:01) - Audrey's plea, and the dinner party.
(01:40:54) - Our final Giant vision.
(01:43:06) - One final, terrible vision.
(01:48:00) - Final thoughts.
(01:51:15) - Outro.

69: Miami Connection (1987) Dec 04, 2023

We close out our month of ninjasploitation with the sweetest movie you'll ever see about a ragtag bunch of taekwondo wielding new wave musicians fighting drug dealing biker ninjas. We are of course talking about the one and only Miami Connection, so join us as we fight the ninja, feed each other grapes, and strengthen the bonds of our friendship through music and violent murder.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 69: Miami Connection (1987)
(00:00:41) - Intro.
(00:02:52) - What did we know going into this one.
(00:05:43) - Getting into the history of the movie's production, and just who Y.K. Kim is.
(00:16:23) - How did this movie achieve its cult status?
(00:20:55) - Let's talk plot. And biker ninja cocaine raids.
(00:26:25) - And introducing Dragon Sound!
(00:32:05) - Trying to pull apart the many complicated plot threads.
(00:40:06) - Break!
(00:40:24) - We're back! Time for a cavalcade of weird Florida guys.
(00:52:05) - Against the Ninja!
(00:56:13) - Properly demonstrating taekwondo.
(01:00:07) - The giant brawl in downtown Orlando.
(01:03:35) - A day at the beach.
(01:06:07) - Meeting out by the trainyard.
(01:09:56) - Jim's Oscar Moment.
(01:17:45) - Pointless biker debauchery.
(01:24:11) - They kidnapped our most talented member, and now Brother Jeff is dead.
(01:31:32) - Jim's OTHER Oscar Moment.
(01:33:20) - Oh, ninjas!
(01:40:46) - The spectacular reveal of Jim's dad.
(01:45:13) - Final thoughts.
(01:48:31) - Outro.

68: New York Ninja (2021) Nov 27, 2023

Turkey month is in full effect, and this week we're sifting through the detritus of Vinegar Syndrome's New York Ninja, a movie so bad the people who originally filmed it couldn't even be bothered to finish it! But we did! We watched the whole thing, and we also made you do that, probably, if you're listening to this episode. Sorry?
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 68: New York Ninja (2021)
(00:00:22) - Intro.
(00:02:43) - We've gotta set this one up, because there's a lot going on in this production.
(00:10:56) - You have to respect the effort. You don't have to respect the actual movie.
(00:16:39) - The cast(s).
(00:20:45) - Talking about John Liu.
(00:25:00) - Trying to piece together what is actually happening in this movie.
(00:28:52) - Becoming the New York Ninja.
(00:33:42) - The Plutonium Killer and his benefactor.
(00:37:41) - Break!
(00:38:04) - We're back, and it's time to stop crime. With rollerskates.
(00:46:37) - If nothing else, this is some great footage of '80s New York.
(00:47:49) - Getting horny for plutonium, or whatever that guy is doing.
(00:55:12) - Cataloging the nonsense that makes up the majority of the middle of the movie.
(01:02:32) - We mustn't forget Plutonium Man's most baffling scene.
(01:04:13) - Brad's favorite moment of the movie.
(01:06:37) - Would you believe it? More kidnappings!
(01:09:31) - The Staten Island warehouse raid, and the worst fight Alex has ever seen on film.
(01:15:41) - The most ridiculous bad guys in a move chock full of them.
(01:17:44) - Brad's OTHER favorite moment of the movie.
(01:20:47) - Time for the Plutonium Killer to "face" the music.
(01:25:19) - New York Ninja is for the children.
(01:28:28) - Speaking in favor of preservation at all costs. ALL COSTS.
(01:34:52) - Final thoughts.
(01:37:37) - Outro.

67: Ninja Terminator (1986) Nov 21, 2023

Our first ever Turkey Month kicks off the only way it possibly could: with a z-grade ninjasploitation movie Frankensteined together out of two different movies. We are of course talking about the "great" Godfrey Ho's Ninja Terminator!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 67: Ninja Terminator (1986)
(00:01:16) - Intro.
(00:03:59) - Dealing with any pertinent questions up top, and discussion of the '80s ninja boom.
(00:08:15) - A brief history of Godfrey Ho, a scam king.
(00:16:38) - Poor Richard Harrison.
(00:18:34) - Talking about the various ways to watch this movie (and how they're all broken in
different ways).
(00:20:09) - The rampant use of stolen music.
(00:22:30) - Alex tries to John Moschitta his way through a LOT of ninja movie titles.
(00:25:50) - The set-up for the movie (such as it is).
(00:30:56) - We've established our ninja movie, now let's introduce a completely different movie.
(00:33:29) - Break!
(00:33:46) - We're back, and we're trying to figure out who is being mourned here.
(00:37:23) - Who is working for who and who the hell is sending robots.
(00:42:42) - We may have broken Brad.
(00:47:46) - Trying to pick apart how exactly Jaguar escapes.
(00:52:03) - Some of these fights aren't bad. They aren't the ones they shot for this actual movie.
(00:55:08) - Bopping around various memorable moments.
(01:04:32) - Brad is very disappointed in the filmmakers. And trying to figure out what Jaguar's
movie was originally about.
(01:11:27) - Here's your ninja slop, pigs.
(01:17:53) - Final thoughts.
(01:23:03) - Outro.

66: Train to Busan (2016) Nov 07, 2023

For our final film of our spooky October, we're traveling to South Korea, where a zombie outbreak has caused a number of train delays (and violent deaths) in Train to Busan!
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 66: Train to Busan (2016)
(00:00:27) - Intro.
(00:03:02) - Our film for this week: Train to Busan! Leading off with our histories and general feelings on zombie movies.
(00:13:49) - Speaking highly of the zombie train concept, and the expedient collapse.
(00:18:42) - Little bit of production history and cast talk.
(00:23:08) - The general lack of sentimentality in this movie and the Korean movies Alex has seen.
(00:25:30) - The movie's (non-zombie) villain, and the set-up for the plot.
(00:29:53) - The limited backstory of the outbreak.
(00:35:18) - The zambies.
(00:41:58) - Break!
(00:42:19) - We're back, and let's talk about our survivors.
(00:47:09) - The rules of the dead.
(00:51:48) - What's happening outside the train.
(00:54:31) - The first attempt at disembarking.
(01:02:20) - Marveling at these spacious train bathrooms. And a dark contrivance.
(01:08:04) - Mr. Business makes his heel turn (and a brief aside on The Mist).
(01:16:40) - The younger sister takes revenge.
(01:20:54) - Mr. Business is not done messing things up.
(01:29:21) - Why's this zombie movie gotta make me feel Real Emotions?
(01:35:53) - Do they make it to Busan?
(01:41:45) - Final thoughts.
(01:45:35) - Outro.

65: House (1977) Oct 30, 2023

We're trading terror for bafflement on this week's Watchcast, as we move to Japan and one of the most genuinely off-the-wall movies ever made in 1977's House!
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 65: House (1977)
(00:01:20) - Intro.
(00:03:36) - Our film this week: House! The Japanese one. Not the US one.
(00:06:40) - What did we know about this movie going in.
(00:14:50) - How the hell did this get made?
(00:26:27) - Getting into what the film is, and introducing our crew of high school girls.
(00:31:12) - What's up with Mr. Togo?
(00:33:38) - Let's all go to Auntie's super cool house.
(00:39:25) - Break!
(00:39:44) - We're back, and here's the Melon Man.
(00:41:23) - Arriving at the titular house.
(00:49:52) - Mac gets got.
(00:55:38) - Auntie's genuinely bizarre montage.
(00:59:48) - Eating Sweet before bed.
(01:05:47) - Goodbye sweet Melody.
(01:09:24) - Togo, noodles, and a bear that may or may not really be there.
(01:10:48) - Marathoning through the remaining deaths.
(01:17:59) - Gorgeous is back! Oh no.
(01:23:38) - Final thoughts, such as they are.
(01:31:06) - Outro.

64: Suspiria (1977) Oct 23, 2023

Our journey through international horror takes us out of English-speaking territory and into English-dubbed territory, as we cross the border into Italy for Dario Argento's supernatural classic, Suspiria!
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 64: Suspiria (1977)
(00:00:32) - Intro.
(00:03:45) - Initial impressions of our film this week: Suspiria! And discussion of what makes a giallo film (and if this is even one of them).
(00:08:00) - A little Q&A at the top.
(00:14:19) - More production notes.
(00:21:54) - Argento's Three Mothers trilogy and some additional notes about Italian films of the time.
(00:26:45) - Opening the movie with a bang.
(00:35:10) - Break!
(00:35:50) - We're back, and it's time to go to school.
(00:39:25) - A few plot threads that don't seem to go anywhere.
(00:42:43) - Our incredibly peculiar staff.
(00:48:07) - Say goodbye to the piano man.
(00:52:18) - The inexplicable maggots. And oh, hi Mark.
(00:54:35) - Using every red gel in Italy, and here comes The Directress.
(00:58:51) - It's going to take two whole professors to explain this one.
(01:04:06) - Sara's incredible death.
(01:10:43) - Getting to the endgame (and a SPOILER for the Suspiria remake).
(01:13:16) - END OF SPOILERS. We're on to the subject of toilet fish and rubber bats.
(01:16:27) - All occult tunnels lead to pissed off old witches.
(01:22:47) - And that's a wrap! Final thoughts, and favorite rooms.
(01:24:52) - Some additional potential SPOILERS for the remake.
(01:27:35) - END OF REMAKE DISCUSSION.
(01:29:01) - Outro.

63: The Babadook (2014) Oct 16, 2023

We continue our venture into international horror waters this week with an Australian entry in Jennifer Kent's The Babadook! Join us as we discuss frazzled mothers, bad vibes kids, and what the real monster is: grief, or, uh, a literal monster.
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - The Nextlander Watchcast Episode 63: The Babadook (2014)
(00:00:34) - Intro.
(00:02:33) - The Babadook, and the subgenre of "elevated" horror.
(00:04:40) - Initial thoughts.
(00:08:56) - Getting into the production of the film.
(00:13:23) - On the subject of our child star and raising bad vibes kids.
(00:20:35) - The concept and design of the monster.
(00:26:32) - Starting our trek through the movie.
(00:34:23) - The few people (and one dog) who try their best to help.
(00:37:44) - Break!
(00:38:05) - We're back, and here comes the Babadook!
(00:39:55) - Mom and Sam's isolation, and the movie's willingness to never definitively say what's in their head vs. real.
(00:46:39) - The book.
(00:51:31) - Some discussion of how good the central performances are.
(00:55:50) - The book comes back, and mom gets mean.
(01:01:05) - Sleep at all costs.
(01:05:47) - The possession.
(01:09:38) - Mom is officially over the edge.
(01:18:17) - The dead husband visions.
(01:19:46) - Sam goes full Home Alone.
(01:24:17) - Mom barfs some Babadook, but it ain't over yet.
(01:27:08) - The epilogue.
(01:35:33) - The Babadook's role as an LGBTQ icon.
(01:38:37) - Final thoughts.
(01:44:34) - Outro.

62: Ghostwatch (1992) Oct 09, 2023

The greatest month of the year has arrived, and to celebrate the spooks we've got a lineup of international horror films set to terrify you within an inch of your life! First up is the once HIGHLY CONTROVERSIAL early found footage film Ghostwatch, in which some of your favorite '90s BBC presenters get tormented and possessed LIVE on Halloween!
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:35) - Intro.
(00:02:48) - Our film for this week: The BBC's Ghostwatch!
(00:06:28) - Talking a bit up front about the controversy that came following its broadcast.
(00:12:52) - More discussion of the production and cast.
(00:18:54) - Recounting the sightings of the ghost. (00:20:50) - The aftermath, and the glory hole.
(00:25:17) - Our personal experiences with the found footage subgenre.
(00:30:46) - Break!
(00:31:10) - We're back, and it's time to actually get into the movie.
(00:35:13) - How this production lines up with the modern ghost show, and a little on the haunting the story is based on.
(00:43:30) - The slow-burn pacing, and subtle ghost insertions.
(00:47:12) - The in-show "hoax".
(00:52:26) - Why isn't this better known?
(00:55:34) - A very Brad side question.
(00:56:20) - From the wet spot to the glory hole. And our ghost: Pipes.
(01:00:49) - Sarah's ghost story.
(01:05:34) - Everything pops off.
(01:15:21) - The final breakdown of everything.
(01:21:40) - Final thoughts.
(01:29:20) - Outro.

61: Hard Boiled (1992) Oct 02, 2023

We're closing out September with the mother of all Hong Kong action flicks in John Woo's Hard Boiled!
CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:19) - Intro.
(00:01:34) - Our film for this week: HARD BOILED!
(00:02:35) - What did our cast know about the movie going in, and early impressions.
(00:14:10) - Talking about the production of the movie.
(00:26:12) - Time to get into the film (and a brief discussion of jazz and its coolness).
(00:34:18) - John Woo's jazz club.
(00:36:08) - Tony Leung's eagerness to do undercover murders.
(00:38:13) - La Li Lu Le Lo.
(00:43:48) - The old school and new school of HK triads have different philosophies.
(00:50:31) - Break!
(00:50:55) - We're back, let's blow this warehouse to smithereens.
(00:59:40) - How did all this manage to happen less than halfway through the movie?!?
(01:04:01) - Barreling toward the hospital.
(01:07:18) - All hospital from here on out.
(01:12:52) - Let's just shoot guns and blow stuff up and fight Philip Kwok forever.
(01:22:14) - The final showdown with Mad Dog, and the exit from the hospital.
(01:26:37) - Johnny's humiliation fetish routine.
(01:31:49) - Final thoughts.
(01:36:01) - Outro.

60: Righting Wrongs (1986) Sep 25, 2023

For the second half of September we're checking out a pair of top flight Hong Kong action flicks, kicking off with our second Cynthia Rothrock classic, Righting Wrongs!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:32) - Intro.
(00:02:22) - Our film for this week: Righting Wrongs!
(00:09:43) - Some background on the film's production.
(00:17:54) - On the subject of multiple endings.
(00:21:19) - Launching into the movie proper.
(00:25:26) - Meanwhile, in Hong Kong: let's blow up some kids.
(00:31:27) - Yuen Biao becomes Batman, and Cynthia Rothrock arrives.
(00:35:35) - Hello Stink Egg.
(00:45:09) - Staring at computer terminals for a while.
(00:47:04) - Break!
(00:47:23) - We're back, here's this criminal kid. He's going to die.
(00:49:13) - The parking garage scene.
(00:53:45) - Torturing a train metaphor to death.
(00:56:22) - This child is an idiot, and the reveal of the Big Bad.
(01:02:23) - If you're suspected of murder, why is court the first place you'd think to go?
(01:05:17) - Melvin Wong is going to obliterate this kid. But first he's going to obliterate his grandpa.
(01:14:05) - The assassin returns, now with high-waisted jeans.
(01:17:11) - More child assassination? More child assassination!
(01:22:03) - Another innocent dead. To the airplane hangar!
(01:27:40) - The final confrontation.
(01:33:59) - Final thoughts.
(01:35:56) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

59: Porco Rosso (1992) Sep 11, 2023

Our patrons voted and they wanted to see us check out Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's airborne adventure Porco Rosso! Join us as we take to the skies with a lovably grumpy pig man as he bests his rivals and rediscovers his humanity.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:19) - Intro.
(00:02:55) - Our individual experiences with the works of Studio Ghibli.
(00:08:35) - Getting into the history of Porco Rosso's production.
(00:10:27) - Talking about the different casts and dubs.
(00:15:16) - Some chat about Miyazaki as a figure in animation.
(00:19:08) - Porco's more adult, real world themes.
(00:22:58) - Setting up the premise.
(00:25:51) - These are maybe not the most talented sky pirates.
(00:32:21) - Gina and Porco's relationship.
(00:35:24) - This movie's love of planes.
(00:37:31) - Curtis joins the pirates, and Porco's plane gets wrecked.
(00:40:51) - Break!
(00:41:12) - Milan and the cadre of women workers.
(00:48:33) - The air force comes calling.
(00:51:26) - Time to get the heck out of Italy.
(00:57:35) - The pirates have a plan...of sorts.
(01:01:48) - Curtis wants to duel to the death.
(01:05:32) - Porco revealed.
(01:08:55) - A mad dash to a madcap showdown.
(01:15:20) - Talking about the end and epilogue.
(01:22:48) - Final thoughts.
(01:29:50) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

58: Serial Experiments Lain: Episodes 10-13 Sep 04, 2023

Every layer of Serial Experiments Lain has now been explored by our intrepid Watchcasting team, and now all that's left is to put the remaining pieces together, attack and dethrone Internet God, and if that doesn't work out, we can always hit the factory reset button.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:27) - Intro.
(00:01:03) - Initial thoughts now that we've completed the series.
(00:11:26) - Kicking things off with Layer 10, LOVE.
(00:18:09) - Lain comes home.
(00:25:43) - Bye bye Knights.
(00:29:18) - Everybody loves Lain.
(00:35:26) - God gets a few more words in.
(00:38:37) - Onto INFORNOGRAPHY.
(00:44:32) - Flesh.exe
(00:50:57) - Don't worry Alice, Lain can fix this. She can fix anything.
(00:57:23) - Break!
(00:57:48) - We're back, and everything's fixed!
(01:01:54) - Say goodbye to the men in black.
(01:12:21) - Alice wanders through the tatters of Lain's house.
(01:21:55) - CONNECTION DENIED.
(01:28:51) - We broke Alice. Time for a factory reset.
(01:39:04) - Lain says goodbye. Lain says hello.
(01:45:03) - Final thoughts.
(01:52:25) - Our plans for next month.
(01:58:36) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

57: Serial Experiments Lain: Episodes 07-09 Aug 28, 2023

We've got layers upon layers to peel back this week on the Watchcast, as we cruise through some of Serial Experiments Lain's most surreal imagery and dense infodumping yet.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:30) - Intro.
(00:02:00) - Our layers for this week: Society, Rumors, and Protocol. Also a brother check-in on where we're all at.
(00:09:50) - Drilling down on Layer 07: Society.
(00:12:56) - Justin.tv man, and these everyday folks who seem to be up to something.
(00:19:32) - The first of many infodumps to come.
(00:33:02) - Checking in on where we're at leading into the next crazy episodes.
(00:33:59) - Break!
(00:34:16) - We're back, and it's time for some blasphemous rumors.
(00:37:55) - Mom and dad's death stare.
(00:40:44) - Alice and friends think Lain did something, and God's back.
(00:48:55) - Alice sees Lain of the Wired.
(00:55:59) - What is Lain to do?
(00:58:20) - The Metal Gear Episode.
(01:04:50) - Polling the podcast about what we know about all this freaky history.
(01:08:46) - Cyberia, and dolphin stuff.
(01:16:19) - A date with Taro.
(01:24:11) - Xanadu. Not the Olivia Newton John one. The space library one.
(01:26:32) - The Schumann Resonance.
(01:34:57) - Trying to make sense of what we've seen.
(01:39:51) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

56: Serial Experiments Lain: Episodes 04-06 Aug 21, 2023

We continue our journey through Serial Experiments Lain with Layers four through six this week, and if anything's for certain, it's this: we absolutely understand everything going on.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:01:06) - Intro.
(00:03:13) - Launching into our episodes for this week, and the state of Lain's bedroom.
(00:07:03) - A whole new Lain.
(00:11:32) - *Daytona USA theme voice* PHAN-TO-MAAAAAA!
(00:18:55) - Lain has friends, but her real friend is the computer.
(00:21:14) - Another kid has a phantomA freakout.
(00:26:17) - The Knights are up to something, and dad has a stern word about Lain's computer time.
(00:29:35) - Laser men are back.
(00:32:30) - Break!
(00:32:51) - We're back, and it's time for Distortion.
(00:37:02) - Lain is getting some interesting lectures, and Mika's getting messages.
(00:45:39) - Another weird dinner, and Mika's increasingly distressing visions.
(00:49:45) - Oh no, Mika. Oh no.
(00:54:25) - Moving into Kids, and Lain's unbelievable computer escalation.
(00:58:03) - These damn kids won't stop praising the sun!
(01:01:37) - Lain ain't having this nonsense.
(01:04:26) - It's time to meet Professor Loredump.
(01:14:35) - Lain gets pissed.
(01:21:23) - Final thoughts.
(01:27:20) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

55: Serial Experiments Lain: Episodes 01-03 Aug 14, 2023

For the first time the Watchcast moves into the wide and wild world of anime! We're christening our first anime watch with the 1998 series Serial Experiments Lain, both because it's great, and it gives us an excuse to talk about old computers.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate for versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:32) - Intro.
(00:02:09) - Our histories with Anime.
(00:12:35) - So what are we kicking off our great anime adventure with? Serial Experiments Lain!
(00:20:23) - The Apple Computers connection.
(00:22:36) - Soundtrack talk.
(00:27:00) - Launching into our first episodes.
(00:35:08) - Talking about our protagonist, her family, cool computers, and terrifying emails.
(00:40:56) - Lain checks her email, and decides to upgrade.
(00:50:01) - Break!
(00:50:19) - Lain's fashion sense, and our introduction to Club Cyberia.
(00:57:00) - Lain's "friends" invite her to the club.
(00:59:57) - The new Navi arrives.
(01:05:53) - Things are going down at Cyberia.
(01:09:44) - Lain's folks ain't around right now.
(01:12:39) - Weird stuff keeps happening to Lain.
(01:16:45) - Dad suddenly clams up, and Lain returns to the scene of the crime.
(01:23:26) - The Iwakuras get an unwelcome visit, and Lain's weird end-of-episode face.
(01:28:31) - Final thoughts on our first few episodes.
(01:36:40) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

54: Twin Peaks: Realization Time and The Last Evening Aug 07, 2023

The season one finale of Twin Peaks is upon us, so it's time to play the game of Alive, Dead, or Arrested, and address the many, many cliffhangers we've been left to reckon with.

NOTE: There's about a nine minute chunk toward the end of the show where you may notice a slight dip in audio quality. One of our tracks got messed up, so that section is taken from a backup. Nothing was lost, just wanted to give the heads-up in case you noticed the change in quality.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:40) - Intro.
(00:01:25) - A timely takedown of ABC Prime Time's coverage of the Twin Peaks finale.
(00:09:38) - Kicking things off with Realization Time.
(00:16:19) - A bit of production background on the episode.
(00:19:49) - Lucy's secret, and the introduction of Waldo.
(00:24:57) - Leo's stakeout, and the teens hatch a plan.
(00:30:02) - Audrey's also doing undercover work.
(00:36:54) - Cooper's philosophy, and some other miscellaneous moments.
(00:40:08) - Josie's confession, and Catherine's visit from the insurance company.
(00:48:52) - Plans (and a bird) are executed.
(01:03:26) - Break!
(01:03:55) - We're back, and it's time for the season finale!
(01:08:35) - Picking up where we left off...
(01:12:21) - Cooper sets his trap for Jacques.
(01:20:41) - Shelley gets kidnapped, and Jacques gets got.
(01:27:33) - James is sad, Leo's going to burn it all down, and Nadine is making dark plans.
(01:33:13) - Josie and Hank clarify some things.
(01:42:36) - Catherine almost makes you think she ain't terrible. Almost.
(01:46:12) - Trying to tie some of these conspiracy board pieces together.
(01:52:24) - The cliffhanger medley begins, and we play Alive, Dead, or Arrested.
(02:09:49) - Finally, the mother of all cliffhangers.
(02:24:16) - What our plans are for the Watchcast for the immediate future.
(02:30:29) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

53: Twin Peaks: The One-Armed Man and Cooper's Dreams Jul 31, 2023

We're over the halfway point on Twin Peak's first season, and the dirty business of all the townsfolk is front and center on this week's Watchcast episodes: The One-Armed Man, and Cooper's Dreams!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:02:58) - Kicking things off with The One-Armed Man!
(00:08:30) - Launching into this week's dirty business.
(00:15:31) - Jacoby's interrogation.
(00:22:26) - Finding the one-armed man, and even more than we bargained for.
(00:29:37) - Donna and Audrey join forces.
(00:35:08) - Hank has arrived on the scene.
(00:39:14) - Just look at that dang llama.
(00:41:58) - Shelley and Bobby begin to hatch a plan, and the boys hit the range.
(00:46:58) - Our first significant time with cousin Maddy.
(00:51:09) - Ben and Audrey's deal.
(00:56:35) - Birds and frame-ups.
(01:00:08) - Leo and Ben's meeting.
(01:04:03) - James and Donna discover the locket missing, and the Josie/Hank reveal.
(01:08:12) - Break!
(01:08:33) - We're back, and it's time to dive ever deeper into Cooper's Dreams!
(01:14:51) - Finding out all kinds of things at Jacques' apartment.
(01:18:46) - Ed and Norma break it off.
(01:24:02) - Audrey goes nuclear, and James dumps some lore.
(01:32:37) - Bobby gets broken down.
(01:37:26) - The Log Lady lays it out.
(01:42:28) - What a party.
(01:49:09) - The episode's rapid fire final revelations.
(01:54:08) - Final thoughts on this week's episodes.
(01:56:41) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

52: Twin Peaks: Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer and Rest in Pain Jul 24, 2023

We've hit the halfway point of Twin Peaks' first season, and it's time to dig into all the things that are beginning to reveal themselves. Join us as we uncover forensic evidence, attend completely uneventful funerals, and discover just what the heck the dang Bookhouse Boys are all about.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:22) - Intro.
(00:01:35) - Our episodes this week: Zen, or the Skill to Catch a Killer, and Rest in Pain! And now, here's the Log Lady.
(00:04:30) - Butter and brie baguettes.
(00:11:04) - Them Horne boys are up to no good.
(00:17:55) - Bobby and Mike have an...encounter with Leo.
(00:27:08) - The country called Tibet.
(00:34:43) - Enter: Albert Rosenfield.
(00:37:36) - Checking in on some of the other townsfolk.
(00:41:00) - Cooper's dream.
(00:51:25) - Break!
(00:51:44) - We're back, and it's time to Rest in Pain.
(00:54:07) - Cooper's latest breakfast escapades.
(01:00:48) - Albert vs. Decency.
(01:05:16) - Maddy, and shows within shows.
(01:08:02) - Norma's hubby is gettin' out, and Leo gets a visit.
(01:11:48) - Another Bobby and Major Briggs heart-to-heart.
(01:15:10) - Albert's report.
(01:19:33) - Checking in with Ed and Nadine, and Audrey's latest sneakiness.
(01:21:40) - Laura's funeral.
(01:27:27) - Something darker is alluded to, and the Bookhouse Boys reveal themselves.
(01:36:19) - There are two sets of books, but Catherine knows that Josie knows.
(01:40:52) - Dr. Jacoby reveals himself (not literally).
(01:43:39) - Leland on the dance floor.
(01:46:57) - We're halfway through season one, so it's time for BOLD PREDICTIONS.
(01:55:40) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

51: Twin Peaks: Northwest Passage and Traces to Nowhere Jul 17, 2023

After a couple of weeks away, the Nextlander Watchcast is making its triumphant return, and we're kicking off our exploration of the first season of David Lynch and Mark Frost's Twin Peaks!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:01:27) - Intro.
(00:03:11) - The day has finally arrived. We're watching Twin Peaks!
(00:08:32) - Some immediate love and fascination with Agent Dale Cooper.
(00:11:23) - Getting into the history of how Twin Peaks came to be.
(00:17:46) - Talking about the cast.
(00:20:36) - Angelo Badalamenti's music.
(00:24:37) - Launching into the pilot, AKA Northwest Passage.
(00:32:32) - The aftermath of discovering Laura.
(00:41:24) - Meeting a bunch of the townsfolk (and finding out who they're sleeping with).
(00:47:17) - Catherine and Josie.
(00:50:25) - Ronette Pulaski arrives, and here comes Dale Cooper.
(00:56:06) - The investigation begins.
(01:03:51) - Audrey Horne: Agent of Chaos.
(01:08:22) - The town meeting, and Donna and James' meeting.
(01:19:46) - The burying of the locket, and Sarah's vision.
(01:22:54) - Break!
(01:23:41) - We're back, and Coop is upside down.
(01:30:45) - Shelly discovers Leo's bloody shirt.
(01:33:21) - The interrogation of James.
(01:36:49) - Bopping around between different folks.
(01:43:01) - Fishy is in the coffee, and Ben and Catherine have a plan.
(01:46:42) - Donna visits the Palmers, and we meet the man in the mirror.
(01:52:19) - Touching on the episode's director and his influence on the Coop/Audrey storyline.
(01:53:39) - Our veneration of Major Briggs.
(01:58:48) - HOW many pieces of cherry pie?!?
(02:01:18) - Leo sucks ass, James is having a nice family dinner, and Dr. Jacoby is up to some stuff.
(02:06:57) - Talking about episode cliffhangers, and whether answers await us for the show's many questions.
(02:10:26) - Final thoughts.
(02:11:58) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

50: Wild at Heart (1990) Jun 30, 2023

The Nextlander Watchcast is wild at heart and weird on top as we tackle our final film before a two week hiatus. Join us as we dive into the burning passion of Sailor and Lula and all the various forces conspiring to break them apart in David Lynch's Wild at Heart!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:44) - Intro.
(00:01:59) - Our final film for David Lynch June: Wild at Heart!
(00:08:14) - So why this, of all Lynch films to close things out? Let's be real. It's Cage.
(00:11:41) - Let's get into the production history.
(00:17:42) - Cage and Dern's contributions.
(00:23:26) - So how was Wild at Heart received in 1990?
(00:32:04) - Let's talk about what actually happens in this movie. A lot happens.
(00:33:20) - An aside about Crispin Glover and some other scattered scenes.
(00:35:16) - On the subject of Lula's mother and the film's opening.
(00:41:18) - Johnny and Santos and various murders.
(00:51:23) - Time to do some dancin'.
(00:57:45) - Welcome to New Orleans.
(01:04:37) - Break!
(01:04:58) - We're back, and talking the open road and Chris Isaak.
(01:10:39) - The broken doll, Sherilyn Fenn.
(01:15:29) - Big Tuna, Texas.
(01:20:18) - Enter: Bobby Peru.
(01:26:18) - Bobby's proposition.
(01:32:55) - The robbery is on. Bobby's head is off.
(01:38:53) - Sailor's back in the clink. Then, six years later...
(01:49:00) - Final thoughts.
(01:53:35) - Some forward-looking Twin Peaks thoughts.
(01:57:10) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

49: Dune (1984) Jun 19, 2023

We're midway through David Lynch month on the Watchcast, and this episode is positively drenched in desert power as we tackle the director's incredibly ambitious and profoundly messy adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune!

CHAPTERS:

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48: Blue Velvet (1986) Jun 12, 2023

A new month means a new theme, and this month we're leading into our scheduled Twin Peaks season one watch in July with a trio of David Lynch's earlier films, and kicking that off with the unpredictable and nightmarish small town mystery of Blue Velvet.
NOTE: This film depicts scenes of sexual violence, and while we do not include clips of any of those scenes, we do discuss them at length.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:22) - Intro.
(00:00:54) - This month's films: a little bit of early David Lynch!
(00:03:34) - Our movie for this week: Blue Velvet!
(00:09:48) - Lynch's vision of American life, and the film's intro.
(00:13:42) - The freaky ear.
(00:16:32) - Let's back 'er up a second and talk a little about how this got made.
(00:24:19) - Talking about our cast.
(00:32:22) - Last notes on the production and the critical response.
(00:39:50) - Jeffrey and Sandy begin their quest for the truth.
(00:45:27) - Break!
(00:45:44) - We're back, and boy howdy, the nightmare has officially kicked off.
(00:54:35) - Jeffrey is all the way in over his head.
(01:01:52) - Time for a joyride.
(01:07:26) - Spending some time at Ben's.
(01:13:48) - The joyride continues.
(01:19:24) - Don't worry about Jeffrey. He's fine.
(01:23:53) - Bad things have happened to Dorothy.
(01:29:21) - Shootout at Frank's hideout, and Jeffrey discovers a horrible and confusing scene.
(01:37:44) - And then...epilogue?
(01:40:44) - Final thoughts.
(01:49:12) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

47: Dredd (2012) Jun 05, 2023

Grab your 3D glasses if you've got 'em and get your slo-mo inhaler ready, because we're closing out the month of May and our Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us theme with 2012's ultraviolent comic adaptation, Dredd!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:33) - Intro.
(00:02:06) - Our final film for Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us month: Dredd!
(00:03:47) - A little history on the Judge Dredd comic and how this movie adapts it.
(00:11:17) - Talking how this adaptation came together.
(00:16:45) - Our star-studded cast.
(00:23:38) - Kicking things off with an all-timer of a future drug concept: slo-mo! And some 3D cinema talk.
(00:32:08) - The plot may be thin, but it does the job.
(00:42:15) - What sets that plot in motion (also how did we forget to mention Domhnall Gleeson).
(00:50:41) - Break!
(00:50:59) - We're back, and our judges are stuck.
(00:57:22) - A brief aside on the monumentally bad choices the tower block's medical guy makes.
(01:01:09) - Let the killing commence!
(01:05:58) - Kay is an awful, awful dude. Ma-Ma is still somehow worse.
(01:10:56) - Let's get mental.
(01:16:52) - The dumbass kids and Anderson's capture.
(01:22:58) - And here come the bad judges.
(01:26:18) - Bye bye Kay.
(01:32:13) - Wait!
(01:36:15) - If you're going to hotwire your heartbeat to demolition grade explosives, don't skimp on the transmitter!
(01:42:36) - Mopping things up after throwing Ma-Ma from the balcony.
(01:47:50) - Final thoughts.
(01:51:26) - Outro, and housekeeping notes for June and July's Watchcasts.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

46: The Raid (2011) May 29, 2023

It's the reason for the season of Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us this week, as we tackle a movie Brad and Vinny have been dying to see in the 2011 Indonesian action epic, The Raid!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:53) - Intro and opening thoughts on our movie for the week: The Raid!
(00:10:20) - How The Raid came to be.
(00:24:01) - Grousing about the remake (which is supposedly still happening), and a brief discussion on the sequel.
(00:26:32) - The set-up for the movie.
(00:35:25) - Our good guys are in the building and have secured the lower floors. Hard part's over, right?
(00:40:35) - And just like that, everybody's dying.
(00:46:46) - Break!
(00:47:04) - We're back, and it's popping off.
(00:52:16) - An abundance of leg damage.
(00:54:52) - Machetes through walls.
(00:57:50) - A very bad use of a butter knife.
(00:59:15) - Some big character moments for our main cops.
(01:08:52) - Mad Dog's comin'.
(01:12:30) - It's over for the brother.
(01:15:47) - The last levels, and the last fight with Mad Dog.
(01:22:23) - Winding to the conclusion.
(01:29:06) - Final thoughts.
(01:31:40) - Outro.

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45: Judgment Night (1993) May 22, 2023

We're smack-dab in the middle of our Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us theme, and this week we talk at length about one of the greatest licensed soundtracks of all time in 1993's Judgment Night! And we talk about the movie too, if you're into that sort of thing.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:16) - Intro.
(00:01:18) - Our movie for this week: Judgment Night! It has at least one thing going for it.
(00:03:56) - Talking about the scared dudes of this movie vs. Trespass.
(00:09:25) - Denis is not such a menace.
(00:14:08) - Vinny reveals himself to be a Piven-head.
(00:16:20) - A little info on how this got made.
(00:22:06) - The story of the Judgment Night soundtrack.
(00:42:55) - Larger feelings about the rap rock genre in general.
(00:46:24) - Break!
(00:46:45) - We're back! And we should probably talk about the actual movie now.
(00:51:22) - Our protagonists, such as they are.
(00:56:50) - Dropping our suburban boys into the post-apocalypse.
(01:00:20) - Enter our crew of bad guys.
(01:06:06) - The train yard.
(01:08:58) - The blur of the next chunk of the movie.
(01:15:29) - The endless rooftop sequence (with a not bad payoff, to be fair).
(01:20:39) - Just what this movie was missing: a sewer level.
(01:28:16) - Winding toward our extremely long and limp conclusion.
(01:41:55) - Final thoughts.
(01:45:49) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

44: Trespass (1992) May 15, 2023

Two weeks into May and some guys are still coming to kill us! Join us as we watch Bill Paxton and William Sadler make increasingly poor decisions as Ice Cube and Ice-T menace them in Walter Hill's Trespass!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:30) - Intro.
(00:02:39) - Our movie for this week: Walter Hill's Trespass!
(00:07:39) - Talking about our cast.
(00:09:13) - An aside about the video camera motif.
(00:11:09) - Back to the cast.
(00:13:11) - Let's get into the plot.
(00:16:52) - A little more history of how this movie came together, and some of the cultural stuff swirling around it.
(00:23:52) - Aw shucks Bill Paxton and scumbag William Sadler.
(00:26:54) - Bradlee, the closest thing this movie has to a hero.
(00:32:41) - The gold and King James' crew.
(00:36:03) - Our main characters meet, and it does not go well.
(00:41:04) - Break!
(00:41:27) - We're back, and Raymond's here.
(00:43:56) - All the ways they try to kill these guys, and the gang's internal power struggle.
(00:53:36) - Raymond and Savon's skullduggery.
(00:57:53) - Here come the real cops.
(01:00:29) - Lucky tries to break free, and, well...
(01:05:05) - It's on.
(01:13:43) - Well, at least Bill Paxton and Bradlee make it!
(01:20:27) - Final thoughts, and some soundtrack discussion.
(01:29:07) - Outro.

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43: Assault on Precinct 13 (1976) May 08, 2023

Another month means another theme on the old Watchcast, and this month's was voted on by our patrons! They chose "Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us", and to kick things off we've turned to a familiar and favorite director in John Carpenter and his '70s exploitation classic, Assault on Precinct 13!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:21) - Intro for our theme: Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us, and this week's movie, Assault on Precinct 13!
(00:08:21) - The '70s-ness of the whole thing.
(00:12:35) - Alex, how did this movie get made?
(00:16:26) - Our cast of mostly unknowns.
(00:25:09) - Setting up all the threads that lead to the titular assault.
(00:38:21) - Meeting the doomed dad and daughter.
(00:49:13) - Break!
(00:49:33) - We're back, all the people are in place, it's time for things to pop off.
(00:54:03) - Hot damn does Carpenter love his sequences that go on way longer than you'd expect.
(00:58:04) - Nothing good can ever come from having a jar of blood chucked at you.
(01:05:54) - The assault is over! Everything's OK, right? Right?!?
(01:09:11) - Leigh is kinda the secret bad-ass of this movie. Also, poor Wells.
(01:15:04) - A last stand plan begins to form.
(01:21:32) - And just like that, it's all over.
(01:27:33) - Final thoughts.
(01:35:22) - Outro.

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42: Resident Evil (2002) May 01, 2023

For our final video game movie for the month of April, we're checking out another Paul W.S. Anderson joint in his zombie and laser-grid filled attempt at making a Resident Evil movie.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:00:41) - Our final video game movie for the month of April: Resident Evil!
(00:06:50) - Our histories with the Resident Evil games.
(00:13:28) - There is not a whole lot of Resident Evil in this Resident Evil movie.
(00:15:15) - How did this movie get made, and why is it like this?
(00:27:47) - Let's start talking about the actual movie.
(00:30:38) - Great intro, but things start falling apart a little bit after.
(00:35:52) - The Umbrella commandos arrive.
(00:40:13) - If Umbrella knows what's going on, this is a terrible plan. If they don't, this is still a terrible plan.
(00:44:55) - Break!
(00:45:13) - We're back, The Hive is open, and it's time for everyone to die.
(00:47:51) - The famous laser grid.
(00:54:18) - Say hello to the Red Queen.
(01:02:42) - Everyone's running around all willy-nilly. Plus, zombie dogs.
(01:12:11) - The senselessness of the T-virus.
(01:14:43) - Spence's heel turn and subsequent death.
(01:24:00) - Ridin' the train, high on, uh, antivirals? This rhyme doesn't work.
(01:29:48) - Put him in the Nemesis project!
(01:32:07) - The movie just refuses to end.
(01:37:03) - Chatting about the various sequels and reboots that came after.
(01:43:20) - What are we doing next month? (We already ran the poll, Some Guys Are Coming to Kill Us won.)
(01:46:45) - Outro.

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41: Mortal Kombat (1995) Apr 24, 2023

Our first couple of video game adaptations this month were pretty dire, but business picks up this week as we check out Paul W.S. Anderson's first foray into games as cinema in Mortal Kombat!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:18) - Intro.
(00:00:52) - Our movie this week: MORTAL KOMBAT (caps to imply yelling). Plus our histories with the MK franchise.
(00:12:35) - Getting into the history of the games and the development of the film.
(00:19:18) - Good ol' Goro.
(00:22:41) - The injury list and fight choreography talk.
(00:24:24) - Our illustrious cast.
(00:37:37) - Getting into the film's ruthlessly efficient set-up.
(00:42:35) - The theme song and soundtrack.
(00:45:06) - Accepting the ridiculousness of it all and BIG SPOOKY BOAT.
(00:52:05) - Break!
(00:52:25) - Welcome to Shang Tsung's island.
(00:58:25) - It's banquet time, and Reptile's here.
(01:01:01) - My dinner with Goro.
(01:06:02) - Kicking off the tournament and a shout out to Hakim Alston.
(01:10:10) - Fight after fight after fight!
(01:20:32) - Fear is the mindkiller, or so we've heard.
(01:28:40) - Off to Outworld we go. If you understand the set-up for this Reptile fight, please explain it to us.
(01:33:28) - Time for Liu Kang to meet his destiny.
(01:40:51) - We did it! The world is saved! Nothing bad can happen now!
(01:45:05) - Final thoughts.
(01:47:46) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

40: Street Fighter (1994) Apr 17, 2023

For our second video game movie of the month we take a trip down Shadaloo way to check in on Guile, M. Bison, and the whole World Warrior gang as they shoot, explode, and rarely street fight their way through the incredibly ill-advised adaptation of Street Fighter.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:01:32) - Our histories with the Street Fighter games.
(00:09:05) - Brad asked how this got made, and here's your answer.
(00:11:54) - Our illustrious cast.
(00:27:37) - The movie's peculiar character alignments.
(00:35:54) - The movie isn't nearly cartoonish enough, but Raul Julia is at least trying to get it there.
(00:41:29) - The set-up for all this stupid stuff.
(00:46:50) - Break!
(00:47:16) - We're back, and evil plans are afoot.
(00:51:21) - Bison's plan is bad, but Chun Li's plan isn't that much better.
(00:57:41) - JCVD's Oscar moment.
(01:02:17) - Bison's art gallery (and his big moment with Chun Li).
(01:09:24) - Fight sticks and catchphrases and illy colored camouflage.
(01:13:52) - Blanka might as well not even be in this movie.
(01:16:57) - Everyone's in place. Let's (FINALLY) have some fights.
(01:25:00) - Freeze frame!
(01:30:48) - Final thoughts.
(01:37:07) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

39: Super Mario Bros. (1993) Apr 10, 2023

For the month of April the Watchcast crew will be digging through the detritus of early video game movies, and we're kicking things off with the mother of all game-to-cinema adaptations in the profoundly weird Super Mario Bros.!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:16) - Intro.
(00:04:59) - Talking a bit about earlier Mario adaptations.
(00:09:14) - The long and twisted history of how this got made.
(00:19:36) - Some casting what ifs.
(00:24:18) - Boy, the people who starred in this movie do not have nice things to say about it!
(00:33:11) - This is about as off-putting a "family" film as this era ever produced.
(00:35:18) - The set-up for this weird-ass movie.
(00:43:02) - Truly this is a movie about the plight of struggling working class plumbers and under-funded archaeologists.
(00:50:34) - Some special effects and set design talk.
(00:53:20) - The depiction of the Koopa dimension.
(00:59:00) - Break!
(00:59:18) - We're back, and things are nutty in this Koopa Kingdom.
(01:02:30) - A valid question: what is Koopa's plan?
(01:06:54) - The movie's endless parade of baffling aesthetic choices.
(01:14:05) - Yoshi, what have they done to you?
(01:18:35) - The bonkers car chase.
(01:24:17) - Nothing says Super Mario Bros. like a goofy club scene.
(01:29:52) - Finally, the Mario brothers get their jumpin' powers (and their awful secret handshake).
(01:36:43) - Heading into the final confrontation (which takes like 25 minutes).
(01:48:09) - Final thoughts on the film.
(01:51:47) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

38: Everything Everywhere All at Once (2022) Apr 03, 2023

We close out Michelle Yeoh March by celebrating the film that won her the Oscar in 2022's madcap multiverse action comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once. So bust out your butt plugs and chomp down on some chapstick, because it's time to rescue Raccacoonie (and also save the universe).

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:51) - Intro.
(00:05:48) - Talking about Everything Everywhere All at Once's Oscar run, and the Oscars in general.
(00:13:30) - Who made this crazy movie, and how did it come to be? Also, some discussion of the current fixation on multiverses.
(00:19:21) - Talkin' about our cast.
(00:27:31) - Getting into the film itself.
(00:33:18) - The IRS and the multiverse.
(00:40:58) - Who or what is a Jobu Tupaki?
(00:45:24) - Break!
(00:45:40) - We're back, and picking up the conversation on the film's special effects and what went into creating them.
(00:52:44) - Heaps of praise for Stephanie Hsu's performance.
(00:56:18) - Raccacoonie and Wong Kar-wai.
(01:03:18) - Digging into some of the nuances of Yeoh's performance.
(01:06:09) - Curtis' IRS agent and Hong's Gong Gong.
(01:09:42) - On another subject entirely: dildo fights.
(01:16:22) - The couple of notes that maybe didn't quite land toward the end.
(01:27:40) - The final "battle".
(01:36:13) - Some final thoughts on the movie.
(01:43:27) - Final thoughts on our theme for the month.
(01:46:36) - Unveiling the films for next month's theme: video game movies!
(01:52:22) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

37: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) Mar 27, 2023

Michelle Yeoh March continues apace as we fling ourselves skyward into Ang Lee's wuxia epic, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:34) - Intro.
(00:01:17) - Our film this week is a banger: Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon!
(00:07:55) - Getting into a little (non-expert) background on the wuxia genre and the film's reception in China.
(00:11:57) - Talkin' Ang Lee and the production history of the film.
(00:21:43) - Launching into the film itself and some of its localization choices.
(00:26:53) - Meeting Li Mu Bai and Shu Lien.
(00:32:18) - And here comes Jen to wreck everyone's life. Plus, people can fly!
(00:41:12) - Break!
(00:41:32) - We're back, and it's time to suss out who stole the sword.
(00:49:27) - Our first big rumble with Jade Fox.
(00:57:27) - Jen and Li Mu Bai match skills for the first time.
(01:05:03) - A brief acknowledgment that movies used to know how to properly light dark scenes.
(01:06:36) - Flashback to the desert.
(01:16:32) - Stop the wedding!
(01:19:51) - Jen obliterates a restaurant.
(01:25:25) - Shu Lien vs. Jen. Also, some more praise for the cinematography.
(01:35:12) - Gliding through the trees.
(01:38:13) - The killing of Jade Fox, and the death of Li Mu Bai.
(01:49:18) - Jen's final act.
(01:55:07) - Final thoughts.
(02:02:04) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

36: Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Mar 20, 2023

Michelle Yeoh March continues apace as we move from Hong Kong to Hollywood in the second Pierce Brosnan Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:43) - Intro.
(00:02:00) - Brad hasn't seen many Bonds, but he's now seen this one (and he also watched GoldenEye on his own time). Plus a little Bond historical discussion.
(00:12:56) - What did Brad think of GoldenEye?
(00:17:40) - Sheryl Crow's Bond theme is not exactly an all-timer. The k.d. lang song, though? Awesome!
(00:20:12) - Getting into the premise of Tomorrow Never Dies.
(00:28:32) - Some production history discussion.
(00:42:24) - More soundtrack talk.
(00:46:16) - Break!
(00:46:41) - We're back, and we're going shopping at a terrorist supermarket.
(00:52:37) - Some more comments on the opening theme/titles.
(00:53:43) - Creating the conflict between the British and the Chinese.
(00:57:33) - Talkin' Judy Dench's M.
(01:01:14) - Time to party with a media mogul and get Teri Hatcher killed.
(01:08:32) - Enter Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin.
(01:14:10) - Piloting a car with a proto N-Gage.
(01:15:52) - Shout out to Vincent Schiavelli killing it in his one scene.
(01:19:25) - HALO jumps: they're so hot right now. Boat explorations, less so.
(01:21:54) - Bond and Wai Lin are captured! Surely they won't be able to wriggle out of this one?
(01:29:53) - No better way to celebrate escaping mortal danger than with a sexy street shower.
(01:31:31) - Wai Lin's secret base.
(01:33:54) - Crashing the stealth boat.
(01:40:04) - Final thoughts on the film and Brosnan's Bond.
(01:46:51) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

35: Yes, Madam! (1985) and Police Story 3: Supercop (1992) Mar 13, 2023

We've got a whole month of Michelle Yeoh classics lined up for you, and we're kicking things off with the Watchcast's very first double feature! We've got two of her most exciting Hong Kong action films lined up in 1985's girls-with-guns progenitor Yes, Madam! and her thrilling team-up with Jackie Chan in Police Story 3: Supercop!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:09:26) - A little history of how Michelle Yeoh found her way into action cinema.
(00:12:17) - A brief recap of the ridiculous lineage of In the Line of Duty movies.
(00:13:54) - Cynthia Rothrock's origin story, and Yeoh's stuntwork.
(00:18:18) - The rest of Yes, Madam's all-star cast.
(00:20:29) - Launching into the film and its buckwild opening scene.
(00:24:52) - The three thievin' brothers.
(00:28:34) - Kickin' a dude's ass all over Kai Tak Airport.
(00:33:25) - Talking about this era of HK cinema's preference for dubbing everything.
(00:35:48) - A celebration of James Tien's evil laugh, and the trio of bad guys.
(00:39:09) - Cynthia has no concept of police brutality, and our love for Tsui Hark's crazy apartment stunts.
(00:43:22) - Aspirin's big play, and Strepsil coming to the rescue. Sort of.
(00:48:28) - And here come the Madams!
(00:57:59) - And we're done here. Bad guys win. Evil laugh. Gunshot. Credits.
(01:02:35) - Break!
(01:03:15) - We're back, and we need a Supercop.
(01:04:50) - Talking abnout our histories with Jackie Chan movies.
(01:09:58) - Why do we need a Supercop? Drug stuff!
(01:11:48) - Talkin' Maggie Cheung and a little of the production history.
(01:16:40) - Jackie's first fight against the mainland soldier.
(01:22:03) - The prison break sequence, and Supercop's "hometown."
(01:33:57) - The Tetris-playing villain.
(01:38:29) - The Predator-ass jungle base sequence.
(01:44:08) - Welcome to Kuala Lumpur.
(01:48:46) - The ludicrous procession of stunts at the end here.
(01:57:11) - The always welcome blooper reel.
(02:00:11) - Final thoughts.
(02:06:37) - The Rothrock Mystery.
(02:08:05) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

34: Johnny Mnemonic (1995) Mar 07, 2023

Good friend of the crew and cyberpunk expert Austin Walker joins us to round out our month of '90s action/sci-fi "classics" with a deep dive into Robert Longo and William Gibson's troubled but fascinating Johnny Mnemonic. So plug your brain directly into this pod as we save the world from evil corporations and drop a few busses on people along the way.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:18) - Intro for the movie and our guest: Austin Walker!
(00:02:59) - Our histories with this week's movie: Johnny Mnemonic.
(00:06:12) - A little cyberpunk history overview.
(00:12:13) - Talking about production history, and Gibson and Robert Longo.
(00:18:07) - Discussing the different cuts of the film that are out there.
(00:26:38) - What a cast we have floating in this cyberpunk soup.
(00:36:40) - Let's get into the actual movie with a dramatic reading of the intro crawl.
(00:44:08) - Johnny's brain tech and his role as a courier.
(00:49:48) - The free city of...Newark?
(00:51:33) - Johnny makes a bad decision, and some talk on Keanu's ability as a physical actor.
(00:58:14) - Break!
(00:58:31) - We're back, and laser razor wires are cool as hell. Also, talking about the movie's villain problem.
(01:06:55) - Wasting away in the free city of Newark. Searching for my lost three pictures of anime.
(01:14:54) - What's with the computer lady?
(01:21:04) - Henry Rollins' big moment, and Johnny needs to get on the computer.
(01:29:02) - The movie gets stuck in a weird gear for a while here.
(01:33:02) - Johnny's big moment of clarity.
(01:42:31) - The message will be delivered via the medium of the future: television.
(01:50:18) - What a mess of a climax.
(02:02:31) - View of a burning Pharmacom tower. Also, apologies for misidentifying a God Lives Underwater song as Stabbing Westward. We'll do better in the future.
(02:06:54) - Final thoughts on the film.
(02:13:06) - Outro.

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33: Freejack (1992) Feb 27, 2023

On this week's watchcast we tackle a very dumb movie that is near and dear to Alex's heart in the Emilio Estevez/Mick Jagger future thriller Freejack. Come marvel along with us at all the janky tech, the insane plotting, and the goofy-ass battle gear they deck Mick out in.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:16) - Intro.
(00:03:06) - Alex's dark secret reason for picking this week's movie: Freejack.
(00:08:47) - Just what the hell is Freejack all about?
(00:11:25) - How Did This Get Ma--wait, that's a different podcast. How did Freejack come to be? Yes, there we go.
(00:15:59) - Talking about our star-studded cast.
(00:25:14) - Our director may have been one of the big issues here (though certainly not the only one).
(00:27:23) - Did Alex Furlong actually die? Does it matter?
(00:35:35) - Who's afraid of the big bad freejack?
(00:38:50) - The twist that ain't much of one.
(00:40:47) - Aging makeup? Who needs it?
(00:43:00) - Break!
(00:43:17) - Brad's here! Brad's a turncoat.
(00:46:48) - Julie doesn't buy that this is still Alex.
(00:49:32) - The dumb motorcycle chase, and the even dumber champagne truck chase.
(00:53:16) - Eagle Man!
(00:58:32) - Grand L. Bush's dorky little sword.
(01:00:18) - Trying to get Alex out of the city, the club scene, and an all-time nutshot.
(01:12:56) - Furlong and Vacendak milling around in a warehouse for what feels like 15 minutes.
(01:15:37) - Michelette reveals his dastardly plan.
(01:18:31) - The spiritual switchboard. What a concept!
(01:27:18) - The mind transfer.
(01:32:17) - Nibble my ear so we can end this movie.
(01:39:19) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

32: Demolition Man (1993) Feb 20, 2023

We're joined by Demolition Man superfan Tamoor Hussain as we introduce our man Bradley to Stallone and Snipes' '90s action classic, and do our best to try and finally settle the debate about what's up with the three seashells.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:16) - Intro for our film, Demolition Man, and our guest, Tamoor Hussain!
(00:02:44) - What are our histories with this piece of magnificent cinema?
(00:09:10) - The history of the production.
(00:22:25) - Time to bungee jump into the film proper.
(00:32:48) - Frozen Stallone.
(00:36:04) - Welcome to 2032.
(00:41:00) - Simon says: eye trauma.
(00:48:58) - Break!
(00:50:09) - The thawing of John Spartan, and and the recurring gag of the cuss detector.
(00:53:54) - The three seashells.
(00:57:16) - Museum curation of the future could use some scrutiny. Also, Tam's special cut of the movie.
(01:02:07) - What's going on in the rest of the world? Also, let's talk about the franchise wars.
(01:04:42) - Back to the big meaty men slappin' meat.
(01:08:08) - Fine future dining, Dan Cortese, and Denis Leary.
(01:16:04) - A meeting of the evil minds, and VR sex.
(01:29:29) - Time to go down to where the scraps hang out.
(01:38:29) - 20th century muscle car vs. Future car, and the LA Convention Center as future architecture.
(01:43:19) - The final cryo-prison showdown.
(01:51:50) - The ending theme.
(01:53:11) - So what did we think? Does Demolition Man hold up?
(01:56:40) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

31: Virtuosity (1995) Feb 13, 2023

The theme for month of February is goofy '90s action/sci-fi, and we're kicking things off with quite possibly the goofiest entry of them all in 1995's cyber-killer-thriller Virtuosity!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:27) - Intro.
(00:03:13) - Our first goofy '90s action/sci-fi "classic" is: Virtuosity!
(00:07:01) - A little bit of background on how this thing got made, and the very '90s soundtrack.
(00:13:43) - Some notes on the cast.
(00:16:47) - Let's get into just what the hell is going on in this movie, and the opening in VR.
(00:22:00) - And heeeeeeereeeeee coooooooomes the exposition! Plus some talk about Russell Crowe.
(00:31:47) - What in the heck is up with this prison scene. WHY DOES HE HAVE A ROBOT ARM.
(00:34:51) - Sid's arrival into the real world.
(00:46:01) - Break!
(00:46:20) - Sid's on the loose! Parker's huntin' him! Madison's here too.
(00:51:03) - What's up with this Grimes character?
(00:54:07) - The club scene. The car chase. CINEMA.
(00:58:54) - Boy the UFC sure was different in 1995.
(01:04:31) - Parker plays a little Hogan's Alley in a subway station, and we learn more about Sid's motivations.
(01:13:22) - Chekov's kidnapping victim.
(01:15:24) - DEATH TV.
(01:19:01) - The final (real world) fight.
(01:22:05) - The final (virtual reality) fight.
(01:27:45) - The one thing this movie definitely needed was a second, considerably worse ending.
(01:33:54) - Our final thoughts, such as they are. And Roger Ebert's thoughts as a bonus.
(01:44:31) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30: Star Trek: The Alternative Factor, The City on the Edge of Forever, and Operation -- Annihilate! Feb 06, 2023

We've come to the conclusion of Star Trek's first season, and we're closing things out with a triple-header of The Alternative Factor, The City on the Edge of Forever, and Operation -- Annihilate!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:14) - Intro.
(00:03:07) - We've got a triple-header for our finale, kicking things off with The Alternative Factor.
(00:08:26) - Some background on the episode.
(00:10:16) - They kinda do Lazarus dirty, and the episode kinda tips its hand early.
(00:15:31) - There are like two things that happen in this episode and they happen over and over again.
(00:21:31) - Getting into the nitty-gritty of what this episode is going for.
(00:27:11) - Clearing up exactly what is going down in this final conflict.
(00:33:39) - Break!
(00:34:06) - We're back with our big time banger for the week, The City on the Edge of Forever!
(00:36:13) - Getting into the history of the episode and its many, many rewrites.
(00:43:28) - Surfing on the timewaves and McCoy wipes out.
(00:49:44) - Say hello to the talking time portal.
(00:58:10) - Welcome to the depressing '30s!
(01:02:26) - The sheer incandescence of Joan Collins.
(01:06:57) - Spock's perpetual irritation with 20th century tech.
(01:09:30) - Edith's mission (heh) statement.
(01:12:48) - Edith Keeler must live or die! One of the two! (Also Brad had a thing he forgot about the last episode.)
(01:20:42) - OK, Edith Keeler definitely needs to die.
(01:27:15) - It all comes together fast at the end.
(01:33:10) - Final thoughts on the episode.
(01:37:04) - Break! Again!
(01:37:45) - We're back, and it's time to close things out with Operation -- Annihilate!
(01:43:00) - Everybody's actin' real weird down on this planet. It's because of the puke parasites.
(01:46:27) - Spock gets got. And Kirk's sister-in-law ain't doin' so hot.
(01:53:30) - Parasites too strong, and the nature of these things is wild.
(01:59:35) - Arriving at a solution through sheer force of Kirk brain.
(02:06:43) - The SENSELESS blinding of Spock.
(02:14:53) - Final thoughts on our experience with the first season of Star Trek.
(02:21:44) - Talking about our future Watchcast schedule. And Brad's SHOCKING ADMISSION.
(02:31:00) - Outro.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

29: Captain America (1990) Jan 30, 2023

We've seen the high water mark for pre-MCU Marvel filmmaking, so now it's time to jump into the low tide waters with the 1990 adaptation of Captain America. Finally, a movie worse than Predator 2!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:16) - Intro.
(00:02:17) - Kicking things off with a deep sigh for Captain America and the low-budget works of Albert Pyun.
(00:07:16) - The convoluted history of this movie's production, and some bonus Cannon Group history.
(00:16:11) - Our star studded cast.
(00:19:08) - The movie's weird delayed release.
(00:20:49) - Where do we even begin? How about with how close this movie hews (or doesn't) to the source material?
(00:27:48) - What kind of bad is this movie? The fun kind? The interminable kind?
(00:29:20) - Our intro to Steve Rogers and Italian Red Skull.
(00:33:26) - The creation of Captain America.
(00:37:44) - It's (not) time for a training montage! No time! Gotta go punch Red Skull!
(00:41:20) - Punching Red Skull did not go according to plan.
(00:49:23) - Break!
(00:49:42) - We're back, and it's time to unfreeze Captain America. But first, some evil guys at a nice table.
(00:58:32) - One of Cap's lesser known powers: faking car sickness.
(01:02:48) - Cap's home. Sort of.
(01:05:36) - The president has been kidnapped! Is Cap a bad enough dude to rescue him?
(01:07:19) - Cap finds the old lab, and has a TERRIBLE fight.
(01:09:53) - Ah, Italia (Yugoslavia).
(01:15:13) - You will not believe how they discover Red Skull's identity.
(01:17:47) - Everyone's kidnapped. Time for Cap to (finally) do something heroic.
(01:23:15) - This final action sequence. Gee whiz.
(01:33:56) - Our final thoughts on the film, and where this one ranks. See if you can guess!
(01:41:00) - Outro.

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28: Star Trek: The Devil in the Dark and Errand of Mercy Jan 23, 2023

We're winding our way toward the conclusion of Star Trek's first season, and this week we're getting our first visit from some brand new lifeforms in The Devil in the Dark and Errand of Mercy!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:32) - Intro.
(00:03:05) - Kicking things off with The Devil in the Dark.
(00:06:54) - Some musings on the galactic economics of this era of Star Trek, and Kirk's role.
(00:11:46) - Production background on the episode.
(00:16:56) - Poor Schmitter. Well, no time to grieve, there's mining to be done!
(00:21:49) - A new kind of life? Preposterous!
(00:28:44) - As if things weren't dire enough, we also have a missing reactor part to find.
(00:31:52) - The boys run afoul of the creature.
(00:34:34) - Time to plug in our Vulcan to fix this situation.
(00:40:55) - The miners don't care about the creature, they want vengeance!
(00:44:53) - There's no number of murders that can't be forgiven when mutual profit is assured.
(00:48:36) - Break!
(00:49:03) - We're back, and it's time for some Klingons!
(00:59:40) - Some additional production notes.
(01:03:32) - Is there such a thing as radical pacifism? Because this planet is that.
(01:10:41) - Look, Kirk's being kind of a dick about all this, but the Organians aren't exactly helping.
(01:19:28) - 12 Hours until minds will be ripped.
(01:23:53) - The Organians are revealed, and it's real stupid.
(01:33:35) - Final thoughts on the episode.
(01:36:28) - Outro (and Vinny's episode killing joke).

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27: Blade (1998) Jan 16, 2023

For our January Watchcast movies we've chosen to highlight the highs and lows of pre-MCU Marvel movies, and we're kicking things off with the highest of highs in the kick-ass 1998 adaptation of Blade!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:19) - Intro.
(00:03:17) - Blade's our movie, but how much familiarity with other Marvel movies of the time, and the character itself?
(00:11:57) - Getting more into the production of the film and the folks who made it.
(00:22:40) - Launching into the movie, and the legendary blood rave.
(00:30:54) - A moment of praise for the great Donal Logue.
(00:33:56) - Our introduction to N'Bushe Wright's Karen.
(00:38:28) - Whistler!
(00:44:17) - The vampiric council, led by the hall-of-fame weird actor Udo Kier.
(00:51:10) - Break!
(00:51:25) - We're back, and it's time to use Karen as bait.
(00:57:11) - The trap is set, and it's time to visit Pearl. Plus: fun soundtrack facts!
(01:05:00) - Brad has some opinions about the Vampire Bible.
(01:09:40) - Whistler Kool-Aid Man-ing his way into the scene.
(01:14:15) - Time for Frost to put his (very stupid) plan into action.
(01:23:10) - RIP Whistler (or, well, until Blade II).
(01:27:41) - The big reveal!
(01:31:15) - Welcome to our big vampire temple that just happens to be in this American city.
(01:42:23) - Talking about the final conflict and some the alternate versions they cut.
(01:50:08) - And that's Blade!
(01:57:31) - Outro.

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26: Star Trek: A Taste of Armageddon and This Side of Paradise Jan 09, 2023

The Nextlander crew has returned from their break anxious to attack the final episodes of Star Trek's first season, kicking off with A Taste of Armageddon and This Side of Paradise!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:14) - Intro.
(00:03:42) - Now that the housekeeping is out of the way, onto this week's Star Trek!
(00:06:27) - A little bit of history of A Taste of Armageddon.
(00:11:42) - This feels like some Star Trek-ass Star Trek. Also, some chat about how aliens sure do just kinda look like humans.
(00:15:41) - These aliens are doing war weird.
(00:26:56) - Turns out the Enterprise is a casualty of war. Whoops!
(00:33:49) - Kirk, Spock, and the gang might be trapped on the planet, but that's no reason they can't play dress up and explode some stuff!
(00:44:24) - Time to show this alien culture that their way of living sucks.
(00:49:27) - Break!
(00:49:48) - We're back, and it's time to check out This Side of Paradise.
(00:54:09) - Some background on the episode.
(01:00:39) - So what IS the deal on this planet?
(01:09:02) - This is the chillest mutiny in human military history.
(01:11:57) - Oh no, Kirk has become happy.
(01:15:38) - Oh good, Kirk has become angry.
(01:23:29) - *extremely Cher voice* SNAP OUT OF IT!
(01:30:19) - Outro.

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25: Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) Dec 26, 2022

Our first season of the Watchcast is nearly at an end, but we're closing things out with a certifiable banger in Francis Ford Coppola's erotic vampiric fever dream, Bram Stoker's Dracula!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:01:54) - We're closing out the first season of the Watchcast with a Decembula to Remembula in Bram Stoker's Dracula!
(00:05:43) - Getting into the history of how this movie came to be.
(00:15:31) - Some of the more troubled aspects of the production, and some very unfortunate accents.
(00:23:41) - Talking about Oldman's performance and some of the other stand-outs.
(00:30:22) - OK, let's get into the actual movie.
(00:36:23) - Now that we have a Dracula, it's time to meet the rest of the cast. Plus, more fawning over the visuals.
(00:43:09) - Our first look at old-ass Drac, a truly iconic vision of this character.
(00:51:49) - Break!
(00:52:09) - We're back, and Brad has a nagging question.
(00:54:00) - Getting to know Mina and Lucy.
(00:56:50) - Dracula's wacky boat ride, and some quality time with Renfield.
(01:00:54) - Lucy has chosen her suitor, but Drac has some other plans. Also, a vampire orgy!
(01:08:25) - Lucy's down with the sickness, and only Van Helsing can help.
(01:11:48) - Mina and her Prince. Also, Lucy's undead.
(01:20:16) - Drac mad! Drac horny! Drac conflicted!
(01:32:41) - Drac has been revealed, and it's a mad dash to Transylvania!
(01:42:01) - "Our work is finished here. Hers has just begun."
(01:50:05) - Hell of a movie, if we do say so ourselves.
(01:56:19) - Outro.

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24: Star Trek: The Return of the Archons and Space Seed Dec 19, 2022

We've only got one Star Trek episode this month, but folks, it is a doozy! First up is another classic Hollywood backlot episode in The Return of the Archons, and then Ricardo Montalbán makes his terrifying debut as Khan Noonien Singh in Space Seed!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:14) - Intro.
(00:02:10) - Khan will have to wait, as our first episode is The Return of the Archons!
(00:03:49) - The set-up for the episode.
(00:06:41) - Getting into the production history and cast.
(00:10:09) - Is this a human planet? Are there aliens here? What's going on?
(00:12:12) - A festival! How lovely, what do you d--Oh, oh no.
(00:15:28) - Still trying to make sense of the lore here.
(00:19:29) - Whatever these people are, they do not like interlopers.
(00:24:31) - It's absorbin' time, baby.
(00:29:13) - What exactly are these rebels even doing? What is their plan?
(00:32:38) - Finally, the big reveal.
(00:41:19) - Discussing the nature of Landru, and of people.
(00:48:06) - Break!
(00:48:30) - Khan Noonien Singh has entered the Trek-verse.
(00:52:10) - The set-up for Space Seed, and the Eugenics Wars.
(00:57:27) - Some production history of the episode.
(01:05:30) - Vinny's shameful admission.
(01:10:13) - We keep getting distracted talking about Khan. Let's get into what actually happens in the episode.
(01:19:58) - Sure he's a dictator, but he sure did make the trains run on time!
(01:23:21) - Everyone's on to Khan.
(01:27:30) - Khan's plan goes into action.
(01:33:06) - Kirk, buddy, what are you doing here?!?
(01:40:24) - Final thoughts on Space Seed and villains in the Trek-verse.
(01:45:59) - Outro.

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23: Michael Clayton (2007) Dec 12, 2022

Brad's deep and abiding love has led us to Tony Gilroy's first directorial effort, the twisty and biting legal thriller Michael Clayton. Join us as Brad and Vinny experience this terrific film for the first time, and discover just how many murders it takes to effectively cover up gross corporate malfeasance.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:14) - Intro.
(00:05:16) - A quick overview on the set-up for our movie this week: Michael Clayton.
(00:14:06) - Some thoughts on the film's non-linear presentation of the story.
(00:17:40) - A little bit of background info on the development and production of Michael Clayton.
(00:22:42) - Karen Crowder: not a great person!
(00:27:58) - Arthur's imperfect moment of clarity.
(00:34:52) - One night in Milwaukee.
(00:39:49) - Arthur on the lam.
(00:42:32) - Michael's various other issues, and some chat about Sydney Pollack's Marty.
(00:51:01) - Mmm, bread.
(00:53:45) - Break!
(00:54:07) - We're back, and it's time for some more Arthur yelling. Oh, and murder!
(01:03:45) - Well, Arthur's dead. Guess that about wraps everything up, right?
(01:08:24) - Michael Clayton is on the hunt, so it's time for yet another murder.
(01:15:33) - Looping back around to where the movie started.
(01:21:24) - An all-timer of a closing scene.
(01:32:44) - Final thoughts on Michael Clayton.
(01:41:31) - Outro.

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22: Star Trek: Tomorrow Is Yesterday and Court Martial Dec 05, 2022

We're closing out Star Trek month on the Nextlander Watchcast in grand fashion with a big old time travel goof-up in Tomorrow Is Yesterday, and the twisty legal drama of Court Martial.

CHAPTERS:
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:39) - Intro.
(00:01:53) - Kicking things off with Tomorrow Is Yesterday.
(00:07:42) - Some production notes on the episode.
(00:13:01) - Uh oh! We've got a past guy on our future ship.
(00:19:47) - This man has seen too much future. Now what do we do with him?
(00:24:45) - Remember Sulu, this is a sneaking mission.
(00:29:42) - It's a fracas! A donnybrook! An all-out brawl!
(00:36:46) - It's time to travel back to our time (forward) but first we have to travel back in time (backward).
(00:44:02) - Returning to our own century with INCREDIBLE precision. And our final thoughts on the episode.
(00:47:03) - Break!
(00:47:26) - Time to take on one of Brad's favorite kinds of Star Trek episodes: a courtroom drama in Court Martial!
(00:51:58) - Some production background on Court Martial.
(00:58:17) - Computers can't be wrong, but they can be sexy. Also, of COURSE his prosecutor is an old flame.
(01:03:22) - Samuel Cogley Esquire: Space Lawyer Extraordinaire.
(01:05:41) - The trial begins.
(01:12:39) - A SHOCKING VIDEO EVIDENCE REVEAL.
(01:15:38) - I'm looking for a heartbeat. One extremely specific heartbeat, to be clear.
(01:20:13) - Oh wow Finney's not dead! Oh no Finney's not dead.
(01:26:02) - Final thoughts on the episode.
(01:28:45) - Outro, with some December Watchcast scheduling.

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21: Star Trek: The Squire of Gothos and Arena Nov 28, 2022

This week's Watchcast is packed to the gills with omnipotent beings, sudden disappearances, and man-on-man (and man-on-lizard) combat as we take on the Star Trek episodes The Squire of Gothos, and Arena!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:14) - Intro, and some Twin Peaks talk.
(00:04:53) - Onto Star Trek and our first episode, The Squire of Gothos!
(00:06:45) - Our man Trelane, and his similarities to Q.
(00:09:09) - Some additional production notes about the episode.
(00:10:05) - Trelane! Stop this crazy planet!
(00:14:46) - Trelane sucks at math, and so do the writers.
(00:17:38) - Our first galactic cosplayer.
(00:20:11) - A racist British person? Will wonders never cease.
(00:23:27) - A good old fashioned duel, followed by a starship getting chased around by a planet.
(00:26:58) - A good old fashioned hunting of a man for sport.
(00:31:37) - This ending is so ridiculous. The good kind of ridiculous.
(00:37:24) - A couple of remaining questions.
(00:42:47) - Wrapping up on The Squire of Gothos.
(00:45:09) - Break!
(00:45:38) - We're back, and it's time to enter the Arena!
(00:49:48) - Some production notes on Arena, and the hearing damage given to the principal cast.
(00:57:20) - Kirk's on a mission of bloodlust.
(01:04:03) - Time to do MORTAL KOMBAT.
(01:09:18) - If only Kirk could remember 9th grade science class!
(01:13:38) - James Kirk is the original MacGyver.
(01:16:29) - And here comes the Metron!
(01:20:01) - Talking a little about the prevalence of God beings in Star Trek, and the state of the space frontier.
(01:22:37) - Final thoughts on Arena and the Gorn.
(01:26:52) - Outro.

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20: Star Trek: Shore Leave and The Galileo Seven Nov 21, 2022

Wacky vacation worlds and big hairy men with spears are on the menu for this week's Watchcast, as we beam down to the bizarre pleasure planet of Shore Leave, and crash a shuttle craft into The Galileo Seven!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro.
(00:02:38) - Our first ridiculous episode of the week: Shore Leave!
(00:03:38) - What exactly is a Yeoman's job? Also, talk about a casual workplace.
(00:06:40) - This is one kooky planet.
(00:07:41) - The production history of the episode, and Gene Roddenberry's post-vacation headache.
(00:13:58) - Irishmen and tigers and handguns, oh my!
(00:16:41) - It's high time we got to the bottom of what Gene's beef with the Irish is all about.
(00:21:41) - It's Bones' turn for some inappropriate workplace romance.
(00:25:04) - If it hasn't been said previously, let us state emphatically for the record: this is all very stupid.
(00:30:04) - People are dying, and weird goopy mannequins are doing the killing.
(00:31:47) - The weird power drains, and the eventual reveal.
(00:39:15) - Final thoughts on Shore Leave.
(00:41:35) - Break!
(00:41:56) - We're back, and it's time to get some people killed in The Galileo Seven!
(00:47:41) - Continuing to educate Vinny on the many quirks of Star Trek tech and transporters.
(00:50:18) - It's time for Spock to take command!
(00:54:35) - Oh right, production notes!
(00:57:09) - Big spears! Big shields! Big hairy men! I love it!
(00:59:31) - Turns out logic may not be enough to get through this.
(01:06:15) - Boma really needs to lay off this obsession with burying the dead.
(01:08:15) - Captain Kirk has no use for bureaucrats and their schedules.
(01:10:28) - There are some VERY funny shots in this episode.
(01:13:09) - Sometimes the most logical move is to abandon logic.
(01:16:50) - Two men are dead! Hah!
(01:21:16) - Outro.

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19: Star Trek: The Conscience of the King and Balance of Terror Nov 14, 2022

For the month of November the Nextlander crew will be chewing through nothing but Star Trek, and we're kicking the month off with a Shakespearean murder mystery and a straight up submarine combat episode in The Conscience of the King, and Balance of Terror!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:01:17) - Intro.
(00:03:22) - Our first episode of the week is one none of us had ever seen: The Conscience of the King!
(00:06:13) - Kodos? And the production history of the episode.
(00:13:12) - Launching into the plot.
(00:14:42) - Some musings on Roddenberry's vision of the future and Kirk's role.
(00:19:56) - Bye bye pillowcase face guy.
(00:21:34) - Kirk's kind of a dick in this one.
(00:23:12) - Somebody's bumping off witnesses, time to use the Irish guy as bait.
(00:28:36) - Time fo the captain to woo this 19-year-old. Meanwhile, Spock has figured it out.
(00:31:34) - Showdown between Kirk and Kodos (also the one and only double red alert).
(00:36:52) - Time to unmask our mass murderer in appropriately theatrical fashion.
(00:45:49) - Closing thoughts on Conscience of the King.
(00:49:55) - Break!
(00:50:20) - We're back and it's time for Balance of Terror! Here come the Romulans!
(00:53:58) - Some history of this banger episode.
(00:59:51) - Lt. Stiles, and a brief history of space racism.
(01:03:57) - The set-up for this latest Romulan conflict.
(01:08:55) - Thank god, a survivor! Surely we'll be able to rescue this poor soul in ti--oh, oh no.
(01:11:58) - As strong as this Romulan ship is, it's got some pretty serious weaknesses.
(01:14:23) - Seeing a Romulan for the very first time.
(01:20:14) - Meanwhile, on the opposing ship.
(01:25:24) - The cat-and-mouse game between Kirk and the commander.
(01:31:22) - The Final Showdown.
(01:36:39) - Well at least there was only one fatality. Let's quickly check to see wh--oh, oh no.
(01:39:15) - Final thoughts on the episode, and the mission of the Enterprise.
(01:43:04) - Outro.

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18: Halloween (1978) Nov 07, 2022

Happy Halloween, watchcasters! To round out our month-long tribute to The Horror Master himself, John Carpenter, we're closing things out with the most holiday appropriate film we could think of in 1978's classic slasher, Halloween!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:19) - Intro.
(00:01:01) - Happy Halloween! It's, uh, Halloween (1978)!
(00:06:22) - What is the morality of killing horny teens?
(00:09:33) - Neither Vinny nor Brad had (likely) ever seen Halloween before. Also, trying to define what a "slasher" is.
(00:12:04) - The surprisingly deep history of Halloween (and that Shatner mask).
(00:15:51) - A divergence on the many haunted houses of the American suburbs, including our own.
(00:18:52) - Back to the production history, including some alternate casting stuff.
(00:31:38) - Launching into the film proper, and the amazing theme music.
(00:34:58) - A Very Normal dark and stormy night, in which nothing bad can possibly happen.
(00:39:55) - The evil has gone! And it has a station wagon!
(00:50:01) - Break!
(00:50:20) - We're back, and it's time to murder! A dog!
(00:52:15) - It's babysittin' time, and a short note on Carpenter's beta collection.
(00:56:32) - Bye Annie.
(01:00:15) - The boogyeman is about to murk these teens that are just here to boogie down.
(01:08:55) - *Street Fighter II announcer voice* FINAL! GIRL!
(01:16:37) - Surely this is the true end of Michael Myers, right? Right?!?
(01:19:05) - Talking about the ludicrous number of sequels and reboots that followed.
(01:26:48) - Final thoughts and rankings.
(01:32:23) - Outro.

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17: They Live (1988) Oct 31, 2022

OBEY! MARRY AND REPRODUCE! LIKE AND SUBSCRIBE TO THE NEXTLANDER WATCHCAST! And be extra sure to listen to this week's episode, wherein Alex and Vinny introduce Brad to the capitalist nightmare world of They Live!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:01:11) - Intro.
(00:01:51) - Brad is VERY anxious to talk about this week's movie: They Live!
(00:05:39) - Time to get into some of the history of They Live, and the short story it's based on.
(00:08:57) - On the subject of "Rowdy" Roddy Piper.
(00:15:26) - Some last production and casting notes.
(00:17:32) - The movie's long wind-up (and terrific intro music).
(00:23:42) - Something funny is going on in this church.
(00:26:59) - And here come the pigs!
(00:29:08) - The discovery of the glasses.
(00:37:03) - Time for Nada to do the only sensible thing: just start gunning aliens down in broad daylight.
(00:40:07) - Break!
(00:40:25) - We're back! Meet Holly. She's weird.
(00:48:04) - The mother of all fight scenes.
(00:56:02) - Viva la revolución!
(01:00:04) - Hogan's Alley-ass gunfight.
(01:02:42) - Guards with PKE meters, and the Human! Power! Elite!
(01:09:04) - Time for the big TV studio showdown.
(01:15:55) - "Gloria, you look like @%$&!"
(01:17:47) - Thoughts on the alien designs.
(01:18:53) - Final thoughts and feelings on the majesty of They Live, and the possibility of remaking it.
(01:26:13) - Outro.

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16: In the Mouth of Madness (1994) Oct 24, 2022

Do you read Sutter Cane? Do you watch John Carpenter? Do you listen to the Nextlander Watchcast? If you answered yes to all three, then you're in luck! It's time to take a journey into the pie hole of delirium as we tackle Carpenter's In the Mouth of Madness!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:13) - Intro.
(00:01:14) - This week's movie: In the Maw of Loopiness!
(00:04:16) - Getting into a bit of the film's history.
(00:09:42) - Time to climb inside that yap of wackiness.
(00:11:26) - Just who is John Trent and why has he gone off the deep end?
(00:18:09) - The Sutter Cane disappearance.
(00:21:05) - Julie Carmen, licensed psychotherapist.
(00:21:57) - Trent doesn't truck with this horror crap.
(00:26:04) - No scarier puzzle to put together than a map of New Hampshire.
(00:28:04) - Get in losers, we're going to Hobb's End.
(00:30:06) - Uncovering the dark mystery of Sam Neill's nationality (and a little about his delightful Twitter presence).
(00:32:22) - Back to the car ride from hell.
(00:35:19) - Weird town is weird.
(00:39:07) - Weirder church is weirder.
(00:41:05) - A brief aside on Vigo the Carpathian, and Vinny suddenly realizing Jurgen Prochnow is Cane.
(00:45:22) - Break!
(00:45:42) - We're back! Bad dogs! Bad old ladies!
(00:49:38) - It's mommy's day down at the church.
(00:55:49) - Getting at some of the Lovecraftian stuff (minus the race science, thankfully).
(00:58:38) - John Trent wants out!
(01:02:05) - Spider-walking upside-down neck lady is an all-timer. Calling it here.
(01:03:41) - OK Trent, you can leave, but you've got an errand to run once you do.
(01:09:11) - You can't escape, Trent. FedEx will always find you.
(01:13:28) - Time for the world you knew to go bye-bye.
(01:18:36) - Final thoughts, and a surprise Hayden Christensen reveal!
(01:25:51) - Outro.

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15: Prince of Darkness (1987) Oct 17, 2022

On this week's Watchcast we take on the John Carpenter film voted on by our patrons, the second film in the director's loose Apocalypse Trilogy, Prince of Darkness. Join us as we watch a bunch of ill-equipped graduate students fall victim to the incredible powers of a liquefied Satan!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:33) - Intro.
(00:02:06) - Our Carpenter for this week: Prince of Darkness!
(00:10:20) - The history of how Prince of Darkness came into the world.
(00:17:00) - Scientists! Assemble!
(00:21:55) - Jesus, the misunderstood space traveler.
(00:26:21) - That sick-ass VHS dream.
(00:30:43) - The first guy goes down, and it's to Alice Cooper's impaling device. Plus all the bug stuff.
(00:33:33) - Liquid Satan, straight in your damn mouth.
(00:40:09) - Nothing scarier in this mortal plane than someone typing weird.
(00:42:58) - Break!
(00:43:16) - We're back, and people keep disappearing! Wonder why that is.
(00:45:45) - This movie might have a few pacing issues.
(00:47:42) - Shout out to Calder for at least trying to avoid possession. Unfortunately, death is no impediment.
(00:50:45) - Sorry Kelly, you're The One.
(00:55:04) - Let's talk about all this mirror stuff.
(00:58:29) - Whoa-oh! Somebody's coming (through the mirror).
(01:02:19) - Things wrap up pretty quickly here.
(01:04:16) - We finally get the full dream vision and--oh, oh no.
(01:09:37) - Our final verdicts, and some talk about Carpenter's music.
(01:16:19) - Outro.

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14: The Thing (1982) Oct 10, 2022

Who goes there?!? Why, it's nobody but the cast of the Nextlander Watchcast, of course! We're just here to enjoy a genuine horror classic in John Carpenter's The Thing, and certainly not planning to absorb you, dear listener. We would never do that! Now sit back, relax, and enjoy a quality podcast about a quality film and don't mind that slithering sound you hear behind you. Nothing to be concerned about.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:58) - Intro.
(00:07:14) - Sorry Brad, this month's theme isn't Dracula related. It's John Carpenter! And we're leading off with The Thing.
(00:10:44) - Launching into one of the greatest movie intros ever (according to Alex).
(00:15:36) - Touching on the Norwegians' story, which is told in the 2011 prequel.
(00:18:37) - The Thing's chilly critical reception.
(00:20:44) - Talking about the incredible practical effects, and how well they hold up today.
(00:25:03) - What a cast! And some additional history of the production.
(00:32:13) - Time to see what the hell the Norwegians were getting up to.
(00:36:22) - Jed the dog is a very good dog playing a very bad dog.
(00:38:06) - The mechanics of becoming the thing, and the big question: would you know you're the thing?
(00:44:17) - Break!
(00:44:38) - We're back, and it's time for the EXTREMELY UPSETTING dog monster!
(00:51:50) - Wilford Brimley is figuring some stuff out.
(00:55:44) - Whoops, we almost skipped over the Bennings death.
(00:58:51) - A leadership vacuum has opened up. Garry has gone bye-bye.
(01:00:34) - Is Blair still Blair at this point?
(01:02:20) - This is where shit goes fully sideways.
(01:06:33) - Nobody trusts anybody now.
(01:09:25) - Alas, poor Norris.
(01:12:30) - Finally, the blood test.
(01:18:32) - And then there were four (and Blair).
(01:25:19) - Some final debate about the nature of self-awareness as the thing, and goodbye to Garry and Nauls.
(01:30:18) - A brief scotch digression.
(01:30:55) - Anyway, now for the REAL debate of the ages: Is there a thing still living at the end?
(01:40:06) - We're calling it: The Thing still whips ass 40 years later.
(01:44:36) - Outro (Prince of Darkness won the poll, so it's up next).

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13: Predator 2 (1990) Oct 03, 2022

Dan Ryckert is in town with a few podcasts to kill, so he joins us once again to talk through our mostly uncomplicated feelings about this profoundly stupid sequel, 1990's Predator 2!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:13) - Intro.
(00:03:32) - The Hollywood cultural shift from "New York is a crime-scorched hellscape" to "Los Angeles is a crime-scorched hellscape" and the Morton Downey Jr. digression.
(00:07:23) - How the hell did this movie get made?
(00:16:10) - Bill Paxton, you are giving this movie way more effort than it deserves. Plus, some "do you remember this person?" character actor trivia.
(00:18:48) - Launching into the actual movie. It's chaos on the streets of LA!
(00:22:17) - Musings on Danny Glover, and why the Predator gets fixated on him.
(00:25:40) - The sheer '80s-ness of this movie's vision of near-future LA.
(00:27:14) - Danny Glover giving "the speech" to "the kid".
(00:32:09) - This Predator sprung for the upgrade package.
(00:34:43) - More Predator mimicking, and one of the dumber callback lines in movie history.
(00:37:09) - King Willy and the voodoo gang.
(00:43:03) - Oh Danny Boy...
(00:45:39) - Break!
(00:46:00) - We're back, and talking about that subway scene.
(00:51:12) - Time to trap ourselves a Predator. These government guys will handle this, right?
(00:58:09) - What feels like fifteen riveting minutes of Danny Glover shimmying across rooftops.
(01:01:52) - Gasp! The Predator's ship!
(01:04:29) - Too much Predator in this movie! Especially for how much of a dumbass this Predator is.
(01:09:07) - Gasp! Even more Predators!
(01:14:20) - Final thoughts, and some musings on the sequels.
(01:22:08) - Outro.

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12: Star Trek: The Cage and The Menagerie Parts I & II Sep 26, 2022

It's a very special triple-dip episode on this week's Watchcast as we rewind time to check out the original Star Trek pilot episode The Cage, then fast forward to the two-part courtroom drama The Menagerie!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:12) - Intro: Breakfast shaming and Watchcast housekeeping.
(00:03:42) - Time to get into this week's Star Trek Episodes: The Cage, and The Menagerie!
(00:06:21) - Some history of this very expensive pilot episode.
(00:10:06) - A little chat about the career of Jeffrey Hunter, and Pike as a character.
(00:13:37) - The rest of our not-to-be-retained cast.
(00:20:32) - Some final production notes.
(00:23:02) - Vina's backstory throws about as dark as anything in this series.
(00:25:28) - OK, time to actually kick off the episode proper!
(00:28:40) - Brad is missing that Next Generation engine hum.
(00:29:35) - The Enterprise is drawn to a mysterious planet.
(00:32:31) - Pike kind of seems like an asshole in the early goings here.
(00:34:07) - To be fair, Pike is very troubled.
(00:39:34) - Heading on down to Talos IV.
(00:41:21) - The ensnarement of Captain Pike.
(00:45:53) - Pike's starting to figure out just how powerful the Talosian's power of illusion is.
(00:50:42) - Break!
(00:51:08) - We're back, and still talking The Cage.
(00:52:46) - Vinny is absolutely vexed by this recipe for "chicken tuna".
(00:54:11) - Green lady dance sexy!
(00:55:32) - Of course! The solution was hate all along. Plus now Number One and Yeoman Colt get trapped.
(00:59:22) - Now the ensnarer has been ensnared!
(01:02:57) - Turns out humans are too buckwild for what the Talosians need.
(01:08:11) - And now... The Menagerie!
(01:10:08) - How The Menagerie came to be.
(01:12:43) - The set-up.
(01:17:54) - Spock ain't actin' right.
(01:24:30) - It's a court martial, baby!
(01:30:08) - Finally, Spock's ridiculous plan comes into focus.
(01:38:49) - Final thoughts.
(01:41:30) - Outro.

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11: Predator (1987) Sep 19, 2022

Ruuuuuunnnnn! Get to zah podcaaaahhhhst! Because we've got ourselves a special guest! Giant Bomb's Dan Ryckert joins the Nextlander crew as we introduce Brad to an all-time action classic in 1987's Predator!
NOTE: One of our individual audio tracks got messed up in this recording, so this was edited using the master mix with everyone's tracks. It all sounds just fine, but wanted to give the heads-up in case anyone noticed a difference. Enjoy!
CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:52) - Intro.
(00:02:19) - Our personal histories with this week's film: Predator!
(00:10:42) - Our precious Bradley had his first viewing! What did he think?
(00:15:13) - Holy shit what a meaty cast!
(00:17:31) - We can't resist talking about that damn rebel base assault.
(00:19:48) - So what's the set-up?
(00:26:17) - Some background and history on the film's production.
(00:37:37) - Effects talk.
(00:40:24) - Break!
(00:40:48) - We're back, and it's time to actually talk about the movie (actually we mostly talk about man beef).
(00:45:51) - Time to Run Through the Jungle.
(00:46:52) - Where's our prequel story about Jim Hopper (Hooper? Harper?).
(00:48:12) - Back to the action, and that rebel base assault (and ol' Painless).
(00:51:03) - Goodnight Hawkins. You're telling ribald jokes in hell now.
(00:55:17) - The Predator says You Can't See Me.
(00:56:51) - Bye bye Blain.
(00:59:46) - Mac is coming unglued.
(01:01:13) - Surely setting some ground-based traps will protect us from the thing in the trees, right?
(01:04:37) - Time to bait the trap with some Arnold meat.
(01:06:46) - Pour one out for Mac.
(01:09:26) - Let's give Dillon a hand for his efforts. In fact, let's give him a whole arm.
(01:10:31) - And then there were four. Also, are Predators nerds?
(01:14:16) - It's just about time for Arnold and the Predator to go mano a mano.
(01:19:44) - Ladies and gentlemen, we got him.
(01:23:12) - Love a good curtain call in the credits. Plus some final thoughts and rankings.
(01:28:35) - Outro.

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10: Star Trek: Dagger of the Mind and The Corbomite Maneuver Sep 12, 2022

After a couple of rough Star Trek stretches, the Nextlander Watchcasters find a lot more to like in this week's pair of episodes, Dagger of the Mind and The Corbomite Maneuver!

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:46) - Intro.
(00:03:00) - Kicking things off with Dagger of the Mind.
(00:06:10) - Some background on the episode.
(00:08:42) - And featuring Dr. Noel as this week's conspicuous romantic interest!
(00:14:15) - Fire your transporter team. The whole staff. These people don't know what they're doing.
(00:17:35) - Seeing some repeated elements in these episodes, especially the Kirk/Bones tension.
(00:20:57) - Time to beam down and definitely not fall victim to anything!
(00:26:17) - Should we try out the mind-wipey-outey machine ourselves? Of course!
(00:28:38) - It's a mind meld, baby!
(00:37:00) - How's ol' Kirky gonna wiggle out of this one?
(00:42:39) - Some final thoughts on the episode.
(00:45:53) - Break!
(00:46:10) - And we're back, and talking The Corbomite Maneuver.
(00:50:09) - Some background on the episode, and why it aired so late in the order.
(00:52:08) - This Bailey guy? He ain't got it.
(00:55:48) - Can you warp backwards?
(00:58:07) - And then they blow up the cube. Oops.
(00:59:41) - Enter Balok, the most homicidal timekeeper in the galaxy.
(01:05:06) - Kirk comes up with the most radical plan in the known universe: lying!
(01:10:56) - These poor extras having to bop back and forth like they're in a pretend earthquake.
(01:12:24) - Time to meet Balok. I'm sure he's very normal.
(01:16:00) - What exactly WAS Balok's motive here?
(01:20:52) - This is really the Star Trek mission statement episode.
(01:26:15) - Outro.

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9: Das Boot (1981) Sep 05, 2022

We're joined one more time by special guest Drew Scanlon to close out sub month with the mother of all submarine movies in the director's cut of Wolfgang Petersen's Das Boot!
CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:13) - Intro.
(00:00:44) - Our film for this week: DAS BOOT (pronounced boat).
(00:05:22) - But just what IS Das Boot all about?
(00:11:29) - Talking cinematic depictions of Nazis in German cinema and German censorship laws.
(00:16:17) - Some history on the film's production and the book it's based on.
(00:24:47) - When you watch a movie in a foreign language, do you remember it in that language? Or in yours with an accent?
(00:25:38) - We, as a society, were not ready for submarines.
(00:27:08) - How anti-war is Das Boot?
(00:28:40) - The captain's respect for his adversaries, and open disrespect for German command.
(00:38:37) - Food, food, glorious rotting food. And boy howdy what a stink.
(00:45:15) - Break!
(00:45:34) - And we're back, and talking about the long stretches of tension and terror.
(00:52:14) - Brad talks sound design.
(00:56:34) - Is the captain good? (At his job, we mean.)
(01:01:05) - One of Alex's favorite scenes, the scene on the German supply ship.
(01:08:17) - The Gibraltar suicide mission, and some of the movie's model work.
(01:15:17) - We're going down, down, DOWN!
(01:22:42) - Wow! They made it! Everything's gonna be alright now, right? Right?!?
(01:31:45) - Final impressions.
(01:39:35) - Our sub mission has come to a close.
(01:44:13) - Outro.

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8: Star Trek: What Are Little Girls Made Of and Miri Aug 29, 2022

We're back to our Star Trek watching ways, and this week we've got a pair of episodes replete with big time guest stars, incredible set choices, and some all-timer Shatner lines in What Are Little Girls Made Of, and Miri!

CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:25) - Intro.
(00:02:13) - If you watched the correct things for this week, you watched some Star Trek.
(00:04:27) - Kicking things off with What Are Little Girls Made Of.
(00:07:08) - Some production history, and boy, talk about a big time guest star!
(00:12:21) - Talkin' Ted Cassidy.
(00:16:37) - Getting back on track with the plot.
(00:18:41) - Vinny gets his electronics nerd moment.
(00:19:57) - Surprise! Robots! And some more costume talk.
(00:25:03) - Sabotaging robot Kirk by getting hella racist.
(00:28:04) - Can robots love? Is that even what Kirk's trying to figure out? Help us out here.
(00:29:02) - Kirk's spackled inflatable dick, and Ruk's big moment.
(00:33:38) - Meanwhile, back on Andrea, and whatever the heck robot Kirk is up to.
(00:36:01) - Bringing us to the climax of the episode.
(00:40:14) - The Big Question(s).
(00:45:34) - We can't help but go back to Kirk's frosted dingus one more time.
(00:47:51) - Break!
(00:48:11) - We're back, and it's time to Blah Blah Blah about Miri! EARTH 2!!!
(00:49:40) - Our first straight up Hollywood backlot episode! Plus some other fun facts.
(00:54:55) - This crazy planet is a mess!
(01:00:12) - Countdown to rapid, horrible death!
(01:08:00) - We were so close with Rand! So close!
(01:10:51) - Time for Kirk to convince these children that they need their help.
(01:17:50) - Vinny poses the big question.
(01:20:14) - They sail off into space, never to acknowledge that there's an EARTH TWO.
(01:22:49) - The episode so controversial, it was banned by the BBC (for a while)!
(01:24:42) - Outro.

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7: Crimson Tide (1995) Aug 22, 2022

It's all gone to hell on a nuclear submarine, and only the crew of Alex, Vinny, Brad, and special guest Drew Scanlon can restore order as we work our way through Tony Scott's 1995 thriller Crimson Tide!

CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:12) - Intro
(00:02:31) - Where were we in life when we first saw Crimson Tide, and some early impressions.
(00:07:47) - The Bruckheimer thing, and also some historical info on the making of the film.
(00:13:21) - Whole lotta Hollywood youngsters here.
(00:16:11) - Launching into the plot.
(00:19:17) - Talking the differences in personality between Ramsey and Hunter.
(00:27:27) - The command schism, and going by the book.
(00:29:58) - The goddamn buoy. Also, how many times has Hideo Kojima seen this movie?
(00:33:27) - Vinny's been reading the IMDB goofs section.
(00:37:32) - Break!
(00:37:52) - We're back, and things are going bad on this submarine!
(00:41:50) - Hunter has to make the tough call. RIP Steve Zahn's character.
(00:44:28) - They do a pretty good job of keeping Ramsey from being a one-dimensional villain.
(00:47:42) - It's time for some Game Theory! Also commending Tony Scott's direction.
(00:50:18) - And heeeeerrrreeee coooooooome the mutinies!
(00:53:08) - Is Hunter a Picard Type? And discussion of where the crew's loyalties lie.
(00:59:59) - Drew's got sub opinions.
(01:00:36) - More love for Denzel.
(01:01:53) - The most intense radio repair sequence maybe in film history, and the big staredown between Hunter and Ramsey.
(01:11:31) - The (maybe too) neat little denouement at the end.
(01:18:00) - Some last tidbits before we wrap up.
(01:29:05) - Outro.

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6: Star Trek: The Enemy Within and Mudd's Women Aug 15, 2022

As we return to the world of Star Trek, we tackle a pair of episodes that truly represent the highs and lows of this series, as we experience some top flight Shatner-brand hambone acting, meet a swarthy Irish pimp, and take note of more than a few red flags about how early ST treated its women characters.

CHAPTERS:

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:19) - Intro.
(00:01:48) - R.I.P. Nichelle Nichols.
(00:03:36) - Kicking things off with The Enemy Within.
(00:04:03) - Vinny thought this was a Mirror Universe episode.
(00:06:19) - This ain't mirror Kirk. It's just plain Evil Kirk. Thanks, transporter!
(00:10:14) - Some background on the episode.
(00:12:10) - Vinny senses some recurring themes in these early episodes.
(00:13:51) - That sure is a clean good/evil split.
(00:16:40) - Poor Sulu.
(00:18:34) - Evil Kirk is up to no good. Poor Yeoman Rand.
(00:22:13) - I'M CAPTAIN KIRK. Also, some more tech talk.
(00:24:19) - The McCoy death stare.
(00:25:03) - It's all going wrong and Kirk can't figure out what to do.
(00:28:23) - A really bad Spock line, and the human-centric writing of the series.
(00:30:07) - Well, we figured out how to put Kirk back together, but it might kill him!
(00:32:45) - All's well that ends well, right?
(00:36:08) - Break!
(00:36:30) - We are back, and talkin' Mudd's Women.
(00:37:18) - Some background on the episode.
(00:39:15) - Time to meet Harcourt Fenton Mudd.
(00:40:02) - Vinny has one note from the last episode he forgot to mention.
(00:40:45) - Back to Mudd.
(00:43:15) - He's a hustler, baby. And he's gotta get these women some husbands!
(00:47:01) - The prevalence of the Rigel system.
(00:48:06) - Just three lonely guys on a planet mining crystals.
(00:54:31) - Let's talk about VENUS DRUGS.
(00:58:26) - Things are getting buckwild on this mining planet.
(01:01:22) - Ah, marital bliss.
(01:02:34) - Remember ladies, you've just gotta believe in yourself.
(01:05:39) - Vinny ain't so sure about these episodes. None of us are, really.
(01:13:19) - Outro

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5: The Hunt for Red October (1990) Aug 08, 2022

Our patrons voted, and for the month of August they wanted to see us tackle some classics of the submarine genre. We're joined by noted sub expert Drew Scanlon as we kick things off with one that's been on Brad's cinematic bucket list for decades in The Hunt for Red October!

CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:32) - Intro.
(00:04:17) - Our familiarity with the novel and the larger Clancy-verse.
(00:11:16) - Some historical info on the novel and the film.
(00:19:33) - Launching into the film itself with some talk about the caterpillar drive.
(00:23:05) - What a cast!
(00:26:45) - The Russian-to-English pivot.
(00:29:39) - Talking a little about Ramius' conspiracy.
(00:36:06) - Some other great guys in this story.
(00:38:23) - Jonesy is the secret hero of the movie.
(00:40:41) - How to make sub chases thrilling, and the visual language of the film.
(00:45:09) - Break!
(00:45:25) - Meanwhile, Jack Ryan!
(00:47:32) - A brief aside to remember some Star Trek folks.
(00:48:49) - Out of control!
(00:49:42) - Time to drop ol' Jack out of a helicopter.
(00:52:06) - Jack is Marko Ramius' number one fanboy.
(00:54:38) - Vinny wishes we got more Stellan Skarsgård.
(00:56:20) - Our man Vasily.
(01:01:03) - Time to get these chuckleheads off the boat. Also, sabotage!
(01:05:59) - A meeting of the cultures.
(01:08:23) - Are sub movies just Star Trek (and vice versa)?
(01:09:39) - Back to the sub combat.
(01:14:05) - This may be a Jack Ryan Movie, but it's not Jack Ryan's movie.
(01:15:16) - A happy ending and some very questionable green screen compositing.
(01:17:50) - Shoutouts to the soundtrack.
(01:18:54) - Final impressions.
(01:21:51) - Drew's submarine story, and one last bit of trivia.
(01:26:45) - Outro.

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4: Star Trek: Where No Man Has Gone Before and The Naked Time Aug 01, 2022

It's time to return to our Star Trek watching ways to check out the wildly dramatic pilot episode Where No Man Has Gone Before, and the just plain wild episode (and Vinny's current favorite) The Naked Time!

CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:33) - Intro.
(00:02:46) - Launching into Where No Man Has Gone Before.
(00:05:46) - Some historical info about the episode.
(00:12:47) - Locating this series in the larger Star Trek timeline.
(00:14:33) - This week's guest stars!
(00:16:39) - Kicking off the plot for realsies.
(00:17:58) - Flying into the magical space barrier causes some complications! Who'da thunk?
(00:19:35) - Freaky eye stuff.
(00:21:06) - Espers? Espers!
(00:22:04) - Gary's becoming a god.
(00:24:08) - A little about the Enterprise sound design.
(00:25:27) - Some differences in cinematography in this pilot compared with the rest of the series.
(00:25:53) - Back to Gary's increasing godliness.
(00:27:20) - What do you do when you've got a god on your spaceship? Plus some Spock notes.
(00:30:36) - Some less-than-futuristic objects hanging around the ol' Enterprise.
(00:32:22) - Time to check out Gary's new home planet. It sucks there! Also check out this cool gun. And even more Spock talk.
(00:36:52) - Gary going full Magneto.
(00:39:47) - Gary gets got.
(00:44:51) - Final thoughts on the episode.
(00:47:07) - Break!
(00:47:26) - We're back, and talking The Naked Time.
(00:54:16) - Some history for the episode, and the spotty history of time travel in Star Trek.
(00:57:57) - This is a pretty good lookin' episode!
(01:00:13) - Bluntly stating the One Thing this disease does to each person.
(01:03:05) - It's a race against time not to crash the ship into the damn planet.
(01:06:37) - Kirk and Spock start going haywire.
(01:14:02) - Time to implode some engines.
(01:18:52) - Vinny has some questions about time travel.
(01:21:25) - There is a growing "admiration" for James Kirk among our co-watchers.
(01:24:42) - Outro

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3: Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) Jul 25, 2022

The aliens have arrived, and so has The Nextlander Watchcast! Join Alex, Brad, and Vinny as they experience Steven Spielberg's extraterrestrial extravaganza and ponder the big questions about life, space, and what ever became of Roy Neary's poor family.

CHAPTERS
(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:15) - Intro
(00:01:24) - We're watching Close Encounters of the Third Kind!
(00:04:22) - Alex's highly controversial belief about Close Encounters, and some early impressions.
(00:10:20) - The aliens' actual motives are somewhat unclear, also some of Spielberg's best, tensest scenes.
(00:11:27) - The believability of these characters and their lives.
(00:13:51) - Vinny doesn't like the abandoning of the family.
(00:18:00) - Roy falls apart, and Teri Garr has had enough.
(00:24:16) - A sidenote about subtitles.
(00:25:22) - Back to the plot, and talking Roy's discover of what Devil's Tower is.(00:27:06) - Is Barry going to remember any of this?
(00:29:04) - Break!
(00:29:21) - We're back, and talking Roy and Jillian crashing the Devil's Tower party.(00:33:24) - Some production history, and Paul Schrader's "embarrassing" script.(00:37:08) - Back to Roy and Jillian climbing that mountain.
(00:39:25) - Daft Punk is playing at my mountain.
(00:44:32) - Talkin' ship designs and special effects.
(00:48:02) - A couple of things Vinny completely misremembered about this movie.(00:50:11) - Everybody's back and feelin' fine!
(00:55:48) - Again, what happened to Roy's family after all this?!?
(00:59:55) - Answering the most important question: would cell phones affect this story?(01:00:39) - Brad wants to effects nerd it one more time, and how the film feels today in 2022.
(01:03:21) - Is this the greatest movie we have ever seen (on this podcast)?
(01:05:41) - Rapid fire question time!
(01:11:47) - Outro

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2: Star Trek: The Man Trap and Charlie X Jul 18, 2022

It's time for the Nextlander gang to begin their five year (if they're lucky) journey into their first series rewatch in Star Trek: The Original Series. We kick things off with a pair of episodes about lonely beings with terrifying powers.

CHAPTERS

(00:00:37) - Intro

(00:01:40) - Our histories with Star Trek

(00:03:35) - Why we opted not to watch The Cage as of yet, and some early history of the series.

(00:07:28) - The series' progressive bonafides, and some lore history.

(00:12:58) - Launching into The Man Trap.

(00:16:41) - The perception of James T. Kirk.

(00:19:55) - The Man Trap's monster of the week.

(00:24:40) - Janice Rand deserves better.

(00:25:29) - Back to the salty monster, and some Federation lore discussion.

(00:28:46) - It's like Mad Men in space (derogatory)!

(00:31:17) - The hand plant (and a shithead puppeteer).

(00:32:36) - Vulcan blood, bulky communicators, and the original bridge design.

(00:36:31) - Wrapping up The Man Trap.

(00:38:00) - Spock and Uhura.

(00:41:51) - Not a great first go at first contact!

(00:43:53) - Break!

(00:44:07) - Onto Charlie X

(00:45:46) - Thasians? Thasians!

(00:47:50) - A couple of early Vinny observations.

(00:50:03) - Charlie was bad, even as a child everyone could tell.

(00:52:03) - This ship needs an HR department, and nobody wants to be Charlie's father figure.

(00:54:12) - You really suck at this parental guidance thing, Kirk!

(00:55:48) - A legendary scene (no, not that one, the other one).

(00:58:29) - And now for the OTHER legendary scene.

(01:02:30) - Things escalate quickly.

(01:06:02) - How the hell does this sensory overload trick even work?

(01:07:18) - And heeeereeeee coooooome the Thaaaaaaasians!

(01:10:18) - Are the Thasians like a Q?

(01:13:16) - This was a dark one! Sometimes Star Trek throws dark.

(01:14:58) - How's Vinny feeling after these first two episodes?

(01:17:10) - Outro

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1: JAWS (1975) Jul 10, 2022

Alex, Brad, and Vinny have begun their journey into the wild world of media you watch instead of playing, and we're kicking things off with one of Brad's blockbuster blindspots in Steven Spielberg's JAWS!

CHAPTERS

(00:00:00) - NOTE: Some timecodes may be inaccurate in versions other than the ad-free Patreon version due to dynamic ad insertions. Please use caution if skipping around to avoid spoilers. Thanks for listening.
(00:00:38) - Intro
(00:03:38) - It's JAWS!
(00:06:23) - Brad's historical factoid, and Vinny's first time with JAWS.
(00:09:26) - A little bit about the novel.
(00:10:06) - The invention of the modern blockbuster, and some trivia.
(00:14:22) - Vinny thought that opening scene was gonna be goofier.
(00:17:40) - Brad's initial impressions, talkin' about the first half and the main characters.
(00:21:27) - The politics of JAWS.
(00:23:20) - How many people does JAWS kill?
(00:25:15) - A few more things about that first half of the movie.
(00:32:15) - A couple of Vinny's favorite lines.
(00:34:01) - The undoing of Roy Scheider.
(00:36:17) - The tiger shark red herring.
(00:37:54) - Break!
(00:38:13) - We're back and talking the killer second half.
(00:42:12) - Just guys being dudes out on the water.
(00:47:02) - The horror of the shark.
(00:47:53) - It all goes to hell.
(00:51:09) - Brad didn't know how the shark gets got.
(00:54:00) - A couple of bits Vinny wanted to touch on from earlier and the ending.
(00:59:17) - If you made JAWS today.
(01:00:20) - Is JAWS still a classic?
(01:02:33) - Vinny asks the most important question.
(01:06:18) - Bold statements are made!
(01:07:40) - Will JAWS ever be remade?
(01:08:37) - Brad's final critical opinion.
(01:11:24) - Taking us out!

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