Episode 195 - MERRY MUSIC MEMORIES

This year, we're stuffing our stockings with an epic mixtape of holiday-themed hits from country to contemporary Christian to Celtic chants. Matt Palmer returns to wax nostalgic on some of our favorite festive songs and music videos, a gift we present to you as...The Twelve Bops of Christmas!

Songs featured in this episode:
*NSYNC - "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" (1998)
TLC - "Sleigh Ride" (1993)
Alabama - "Thistlehair the Christmas Bear" (1985)
Amy Grant - "Emmanuel" (1983)
Christina Aguilera - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" (2000)
Harry Connick Jr. - "(It Must've Been Ol') Santa Claus" (1993)
Band Aid - "Do They Know It's Christmas?" (1984)
Britney Spears - "My Only Wish (This Year)" (2000)
Enya - "Oíche Chiúin (Silent Night)" (1988)
The Muppet Christmas Carol - "It Feels Like Christmas" (1992)
Mariah Carey - "Miss You Most (At Christmas Time)" (1994)
Stevie Wonder - "What Christmas Means to Me" (1967)

Stream our full holiday playlist on Spotify!

Episode 194 - AUSTIN POWERS: THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME / GOLDMEMBER

Yeah, baby! We get groovy with Nate Tapp in a special Shags-giving episode as we feast on the two sequel installments of Mike Myers' spy spoof trilogy. From Mini-Me to the Mole, it's a shagadelic spread fit for a Fat Bastard. Oh behave!

Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999)
Directed by Jay Roach
Written by Michael McCullers and Mike Myers
Starring Mike Myers, Heather Graham, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Rob Lowe, Mindy Sterling, Seth Green, and Verne Troyer

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)

Written by Michael McCullers and Mike Myers

Starring Mike Myers, Beyoncé Knowles, Michael York, Robert Wagner, Seth Green, Mindy Sterling, Verne Troyer, Fred Savage, and Michael Caine

Episode 193 - CLIFFHANGER

Buckle up, rock jocks, because we like it extreme! This time, we're scaling the intense heights of '90s action thrillers with Cliffhanger. Once we get a grip on the ups and downs of this high altitude heist, it's not a long leap to conversations on the legacy of Sylvester Stallone and the burly brand of action cinema he helped popularize. 

The ApeCast's very own Geoff Clarke comes to our rescue in his WWWW debut, so hang on and hang out as he helps our podcast realize its peak potential.

Cliffhanger (1993)
Directed by Renny Harlin
Written by Michael France and Sylvester Stallone
Starring Sylvester Stallone, John Lithgow, Michael Rooker, Janine Turner, Rex Linn, Caroline Goodall, Leon, Craig Fairbrass, Ralph Waite, and Paul Winfield

Episode 192 - FIGHT CLUB

Whether you consider it a haymaker of socio-political satire or a manual for radicalizing restless young men, Fight Club clearly knows how to land some punches. Grimy yet seductive, the movie has become startlingly prescient in presenting what once seemed like an extreme response to economic and spiritual crisis. It's too bad the rules say we can't actually talk about it...

Sean Davis meets us at a very strange time in our lives, as we give a blow-by-blow of the mischief, mayhem, and (subliminal?) meanings of Fight Club.

Fight Club (1999)

Directed by David Fincher
Written by Jim Uhls
Based on the novel by Chuck Palahniuk
Starring Edward Norton, Brad Pitt, Helena Bonham Carter, Jared Leto, and Meat Loaf

Episode 191 - NAPOLEON DYNAMITE

In 2004, Napoleon Dynamite was something rarer than a liger and more precious than a working time machine: a nationwide word-of-mouth hit. Its deadpan humor, quirky characters, and tacky aesthetics add up to an infinitely quotable 95-minute mixtape of wholesome Americana and nostalgic ephemera. And along the way, it becomes an emotionally rewarding journey of surviving teenage exasperation, embarrassment, and slack-jawed boredom. Lucky!

We listen to our hearts as Jack Stovold helps make all our wildest podcast dreams come true. It's probably the best episode we've ever done.

Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
Directed by Jared Hess
Written by Jared and Jerusha Hess
Starring Jon Heder, Jon Gries, Aaron Ruell, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino, Haylie Duff, Shondrella Avery, and Diedrich Bader

Episode 190 - BOY MEETS WORLD

The standard-bearer of ABC's famed TGIF lineup throughout the '90s, Boy Meets World served up a weekly dose of warmth, wackiness, and wholesome teen romance. But even then, we knew that the show's real love story wasn't Cory and Topanga - it was Cory and Shawn, a bestie bromance for the ages. Toss in the gang's textbook co-dependency with mentor figure Mr. Feeny, and this is a sitcom steeped in playful psychological shenanigans.

Manny Lozano helps us pick up on the obvious-in-retrospect signals as we spend quality time with this formative family sitcom, and find that its heart and humor still resonate more than two decades later.

Boy Meets World (1993-2000)
Created by Michael Jacobs and April Kelly
Starring Ben Savage, Rider Strong, Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, Betsy Randle, William Russ, Lily Nicksay, Lindsay Ridgeway, Anthony Tyler Quinn, Trina McGee-Davis, Matthew Lawrence, Maitland Ward, and William Daniels

Episodes featured in this podcast:

"Teacher's Bet" (aired 11/19/1993)
"Chick Like Me" (aired 1/31/1997)
"Cult Fiction" (aired 4/25/1997)
"It's Not You...It's Me" (aired 10/17/1997)
"And Then There Was Shawn" (aired 2/27/1998)
"Brave New World" (aired 5/5/2000)

Episode 189 - WWF vs. WCW: THE MONDAY NIGHT WAR

Stop us if this sounds familiar: impossibly muscled heroes in tights do battle with colorful villains, their operatic exploits unfolding over years and decades of serialized, heavily mythologized storylines. Even jabronis know that professional wrestling is as "fake" as any superhero comic - and just essential to the canon of American childhood. Never was this clearer than the late '90s heyday of the World Wrestling Federation and World Championship Wrestling, two brash companies whose head-to-head showdown for TV wrestling supremacy catapulted the artform to new heights of popularity, creativity, and controversy. 

Cody Stallings tags in to give us a crash course on the WWF-WCW rivalry, as we grapple with its most shocking swerves and fiercest feuds in this pay-per-view-length episode. And that's the bottom line, 'cause WWWW said so!

Matches discussed in this podcast:
WCW Bash at the Beach 1996 - The Outsiders vs. Sting, Lex Luger, and Randy Savage
WWF Survivor Series 1997 - Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. Shawn Michaels
WWF King of the Ring 1998 - The Undertaker vs. Mankind (Hell in a Cell)
WCW Thunder, April 26, 2000 - Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff vs. Diamond Dallas Page and David Arquette

Episode 188 - THE WEDDING SINGER

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here to revisit the Summer of Sandler! This time, our celebration has a decidedly romantic bent, as we untangle the mysteries of life, love, and local entertainers through the lessons of The Wedding Singer. It's an ouroboros of nostalgia that entangles our affection for '90s icons like Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore with a valentine to the omnipresent pop culture of the '80s.

Lindsay Mead keeps the party going in our ongoing tribute to the Sandman - and to the co-stars that shine just as bright in this feel-good retro romp. It's another WWWW love-fest...WHOOP-A-DEE-DOO!

The Wedding Singer (1998)
Directed by Frank Coraci
Written by Tim Herlihy
Starring Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, Christine Taylor, Allen Covert, Matthew Glave, Angela Featherstone, Ellen Dow, and Billy Idol

Episode 187 - TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY

Like a robot foot crushing the skull of an obsolete lifeform, Terminator 2: Judgment Day demolishes the mold of blockbuster sequels. It's a sleek, sexy upgrade jam-packed with iconic imagery, pitch-perfect performances, and groundbreaking special effects. An impressive achievement in every way, it set a standard for action dramas--not to mention gun-toting mama bears and cyborg father figures--that's endured for three decades.

Daniel Borders-Ashe joins us to talk about all things Terminator, and takes us on an emotional thrill ride that'll melt even the coldest metallic heart. So say "Hasta la vista" to your preconceptions, and 'cast with us if you want to live!

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
Directed by James Cameron
Written by James Cameron and William Wisher
Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Robert Patrick, Joe Morton, and Edward Furlong

Episode 186 - THE PARENT TRAP (1998)

If remakes are like cinematic offspring, then 1998's The Parent Trap is full of youthful exuberance. Already notable for launching the acting career of Lindsey Lohan and the directorial career of Nancy Meyers, the film is determined to be a spunkier, more worldly version of its forebear, while sneaking in a complex adult romance alongside its tween twin hijinks.

Jenny Rudloff joins our WWWW family - and it's like discovering a long-lost sibling as we get together (yeah, yeah, yeah) to discuss the movie's queer subtexts and question the parenting strategies in this mischievous Disney flick.

The Parent Trap (1998)
Directed by Nancy Meyers
Written by David Swift and Nancy Meyers & Charles Shyer
Based on Lottie and Lisa by Erich Kastner and The Parent Trap (1961)
Starring Lindsey Lohan, Dennis Quaid, Natasha Richardson, Lisa Ann Walter, Simon Kunz, and Elaine Hendrix

Episode 185 - The Dubbies From Home

From our home office to yours, it's the seventh edition of our year-in-review spectacular! 2020 was a weird year for everyone - including the film and TV industry - but there's still plenty to celebrate among the movies, shows, podcasts, and people that helped lift our spirits. It's comfies and casuals only at this award extravaganza...it's the Dubbies From Home!

This year's program of awards:

• Most Watchable Performances
• Worthiest Watches
• Best Comeback
• Most Unnecessary Throwback
• Future WWWW Candidate
• Most Nostalgic Moment
• Best New Oldie
• Best Performance by a Guest
• Best Original Song in a Feature Film by a WWWW Guest
• Spicetime Achievement Award
  
• Best Original Song in a WWWW Episode
• Best Performance by a Co-host
• Best WWWW Episode of 2020
  

Episode 184 - THE TRANSFORMERS: THE MOVIE

Before Michael Bay, before Beast Wars, there was...The Transformers: The Movie. Dismissed in its time as a toyetic cog in a corporate moneymaking machine (which it is, to a certain extent), the film endures as a cult classic for many reasons: its anime-influenced visuals, an over-the-top rock soundtrack, and an emotional ruthlessness you don't expect from a cartoon about alien robots that fold into boomboxes.

That being said, The Transformers is still peak 1980s in all its loud, colorful excess. John Parton returns to discuss one of his prime cinematic passions, and transforms our perspective on this keystone of '80s nostalgia. Let's roll out!

The Transformers: The Movie (1986)
Directed by Nelson Shin
Written by Ron Friedman
Based on The Transformers TV series
Starring Peter Cullen, Judd Nelson, Robert Stack, Lionel Stander, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Idle, Frank Welker, and Orson Welles

"Episode 184" - JOEL SCHUMACHER'S BATMAN FOREVER

When an auteur filmmaker's ambitious vision is compromised by the Hollywood studio system, what's the right thing to do? Demand a do-over, of course! And thanks to years of persistent pleas from fans everywhere, we finally get to experience our generation's defining DC comic book movie event the way its creator intended.

That's right, we have seen the Schumacher Cut of Batman Forever... What? Were you expecting something else?

Guests from our theatrical cut episode Gensho Tasaka and Eric Wheeler re-enter the Batcave to debate all the changes, from the Flying Graysons singing an Icelandic sea shanty to the controversial inclusion of Mark Hamill as the Joker in that weird nightmare sequence. Brian Rudloff and Sam Stovold also join the roundtable, bringing not-so-trivial expertise from their own Batman Forever podcast (bafflingly titled Marvel Star Wars Explorers). 

Holy April Fool's Day, Batman! We wish! 

#ReleaseTheSchumacherCut

Episode 183 - MORPH MADNESS: THE TOKUSATSU TOURNAMENT

We're talkin' tokusatsu in our latest bracket, a tribute to the American shows that tried to ride the coattails of Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers -- and to the Japanese shows that originated these transforming teams and their giant vehicles. 

Our friend Gensho Tasaka returns to help us judge eight different franchises in a contest of sentai supremacy. Assemble your squad for this cross-cultural collision of masked action heroes. It's...Morph Madness!

Episodes included in this podcast:

Choriki Sentai Ohranger - "King Gallant's Entrance" (1995)
Power Rangers Zeo - "The Power of Gold" (1996)

vs.

Ninja Turtles: The Next Mutation - "East Meets West, Part 3" (1997)

---

Kamen Rider Black RX - "Shadow Moon!" (1989)
Masked Rider - "Super Gold, Part 2" (1996)

vs.

B-Fighter Kabuto - "Vow!! Heated Stag Battle" (1996)
Beetleborgs Metallix - "Battle Station Alert" (1997)

---

Jikuu Senshi Spielban - "A Shocking Pair! The Crystallized Combination!" (1986)
VR Troopers - "The Battle Begins, Part 2" (1994)

vs. 

Gridman the Hyper Agent - "I Don't Like Sports and Such" (1993)
Superman Samurai Syber-Squad - "Samurize, Guys!" (1994)

---

Tattooed Teenage Alien Fighters from Beverly Hills - "In the Beginning..." (1994)

vs.

Mystic Knights of Tir Na Nog - "Tyrune Returns" (1998)

Episode 182 - BACK TO THE FUTURE

Great Scott! It's about darn time we talked about a pop culture giant like Back to the Future. And folks, this episode is heavy...with discussions of memories and memorabilia, characters and quotes, trivia and themes, all infused with the power of love.

Amy Ambler hops in our DeLorean for a trip back in time - and into a perennial cinematic comfort zone. Trust us, when this podcast hits 182 episodes, you're gonna hear some serious shit.

Back to the Future (1985)
Directed by Robert Zemeckis
Written by Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis
Starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Crispin Glover, Thomas F. Wilson, James Tolkan, Claudia Wells, and Huey Lewis

Episode 181 - TWISTER

How many roads must an estranged couple walk down before you can call them groundbreaking tornado researchers? The answer, my friends, is blowin' in the high-concept thrills of Twister, a kinetic upscaling of classic Hollywood disaster flicks that's constantly driving forward like an unstoppable force of nature.

We go storm chasing with our good friend, the inimitable Jake Beal, who shares his Midwestern roots and teaches us all the right strategies for appreciating the well-crafted bombast of a prototypical '90s blockbuster. It's the wonder of nature, baby!

Twister (1996)
Directed by Jan de Bont
Written by Michael Crichton and Anne-Marie Martin
Starring Helen Hunt, Bill Paxton, Jami Gertz, Cary Elwes, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Alan Ruck, Jeremy Davies, Sean Whalen, Joey Slotnick, Todd Field, Scott Thomson, Wendle Josepher, Zach Grenier, and Lois Smith

Episode 180 - STARSHIP TROOPERS

One of the most misunderstood films of its time - and perhaps of all time - is Starship Troopers, a loud, brutish sci-fi/action blockbuster that slyly satirizes the genre's political and moral absolutism. Scratch at the layers of hyper-violent bombast (and Day-Glo bug guts), and it doesn't take long to find a scathing indictment of fascism, nationalism, and the military-industrial complex. 

We drop into a new year of 'casting with new recruit Alex Rodriguez, and savor our first encounter with action cinema's Dutch master, Paul Verhoeven. Would you like to know more? Then do your part and enlist with our loyal army of listeners!

Starship Troopers (1997)
Directed by Paul Verhoeven
Written by Ed Neumeier
Based on the novel by Robert A. Heinlein
Starring Casper Van Dien, Denise Richards, Dina Meyer, Neil Patrick Harris, Jake Busey, Patrick Muldoon, Clancy Brown, Seth Gilliam, and Michael Ironside