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Listen to Episode 477 – “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness”

Benedict Cumberbatch in Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022), directed by Sam Raimi

Gobbledygeek episode 476, “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Paul and Arlo are going slightly mad. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is the MCU’s latest trip through the titular multiverse, fracturing and reshaping reality to meet the franchise’s corporate needs. If that sounds a little unenthused, well, what can we say? The boys didn’t love this one. Paul, ever the optimist, discusses why the MCU’s depiction of sorcery continues to be one of its greatest assets. Arlo, ever the cynic, expresses appreciation of Sam Raimi’s trademark flourishes before lamenting that they’re all recycled riffs. Along the way, they discuss the film’s odd function as a WandaVision sequel, whether punching star-shaped holes in the universe is good goofy or bad goofy, those weird fucking kids, and more.

NEXT: more madness.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:34  –  Awkward Intro
  • 00:03:33  –  Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Spoiler-free)
  • 00:21:15  –  SPOILERS!!!
  • 01:50:40  –  Outro / Next

MUSIC

  • “I’m Going Slightly Mad” by Queen, Innuendo (1991)
  • “X-Men Theme” by Florian Haack, X-Men Theme (Single) (2018)

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 474 – “MCUTV: Moon Knight (feat. Michael Holland)”

Oscar Isaac in Moon Knight (2022), created by Jeremy Slater

Gobbledygeek episode 474, “MCUTV: Moon Knight (feat. Michael Holland),,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Travelers of the night, welcome to Paul and Arlo’s latest MCUTV discussion. They join hands once again with Hollywood wonder boy Michael Holland, and together they summon Moon Knight. Oscar Isaac joins the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Marc Spector, the human avatar of Egyptian god Khonshu, and…well, is he Marc Spector? Is he Steven Grant? Or is he someone else entirely? The gang discusses how the show tackles Marc’s dissociative identity disorder, the killer costume design, how the series pushes the MCU’s boundaries, and more.

NEXT: on a new Geek Challenge, we are The One who is Everything Everywhere All at Once.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:01:17  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:11:00  –  Moon Knight
  • 01:36:40  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “A Man Without Love” by Engelbert Humperdinck, A Man Without Love (1968)
  • “Nights in White Satin” by The Moody Blues, Days of Future Passed (1967)

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 473 – “Dick’s on the Brain”

Gobbledygeek episode 473, “Dick’s on the Brain,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

It’s a freestyle episode, boys and girls! You know what that means: the Dragon’s Milk is flowing, the tangents are plentiful, and Paul and Arlo just can’t get enough Dick’s. Now, now, get your mind out of the gutter–we’re talking Dick’s, the iconic Seattle burger chain. In addition to chowing down on their favorite regional burgers (Arlo shouts out Akron’s very own Swenson’s), the boys are very much on their bullshit throughout. Arlo recounts the entire A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise, Paul experiences Stranger Things with a fella named Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Arlo gets progressively more inebriated.

NEXT: welcome, travelers of the night, to another MCUTV installment with Hollywood wonder boy Michael Holland. This time, we’re discussing Moon Knight.

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “Posse on Broadway” by Sir Mix-a-Lot, Swass (1988)
  • “Who Let the Dogs Out (As Made Famous by Baha Men)” by Karaoke DJ, Karaoke Hit Music the 00’s Vol. 2 – Instrumental Sing Alongs From the 2000’s (2010)
  • “Are You Ready for Freddy” by Fat Boys, Coming Back Hard Again (1988)

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 460 – “MCUTV: Hawkeye (feat. Michael Holland)”

Hailee Steinfeld and Jeremy Renner in Hawkeye (2021)

Gobbledygeek episode 460, “MCUTV: Hawkeye,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Clint Barton, draw back your bow and let your arrow go straight to Disney+. Hollywood big shot Michael Holland joins Paul and Arlo for another season of MCUTV. This time, Jeremy Renner returns as the titular Hawkeye for six episodes of street-level crimefighting. He’s joined by Hailee Steinfeld as that other titular Hawkeye, Kate Bishop, to do battle with tracksuit bros, LARPers, and showtunes. The gang praises the show for its relatively small stakes, compares it to Matt Fraction and David Aja’s classic run, discusses Clint’s unique baggage both inter- and extra-textually, and more.

NEXT: like the Terminator, we’ll be back.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:33  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:09:37  –  Hawkeye
  • 01:39:45  –  Outro / Next

MUSIC

  • “You’re A Mean One, Mr. Grinch” by Thurl Ravenscroft, Dr. Seuss’ How The Grinch Stole Christmas (1966)
  • “Save The City” by Adam Pascal, Ty Taylor, Rory Donovan, Derek Klena, Bonnie Milligan, Christopher Siever & Shayna Steele, Hawkeye: Vol. 2 (Episodes 4-6) (2021)

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 444 – “Loki (feat. Michael Holland)”

Sophia Di Martino and Tom Hiddleston in ‘Loki’ (2021), directed by Kate Herron

Gobbledygeek episode 444, “Loki (feat. Michael Holland),” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Gobbledygeek’s very own MCU TV brain trust reconvenes somewhere in the multiverse, as post-production supervisor to the stars Michael Holland joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Michael Waldron and Kate Herron’s Loki. The gang untangles the kooky timeline shenanigans, falls in love with the incestuous narcissism at the heart of the Loki/Sylvie relationship, find themselves wowed by Owen Wilson, and ponders where the show’s timey-wimey finale leaves the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Plus, Arlo likes Blade Runner now, and there’s some Space Jam: A New Legacy trash talk.

NEXT: the MCU returns to the big screen with Cate Shortland’s Black Widow.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:42  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:17:50  –  Main Topic
  • 01:56:30  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “Fly Like An Eagle” by Steve Miller Band, Fly Like An Eagle (1976)
  • “Very Full” by Tom Hiddleston, Loki: Vol. 1 (Episodes 1-3) (Original Soundtrack) (2021)

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 437 – “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (feat. Michael Holland)”

Anthony Mackie in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (2021), created by Malcolm Spellman

Gobbledygeek episode 437, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier (feat. Michael Holland),” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Paul, Arlo, and returning guest Michael Holland aren’t in Westview anymore. For its second TV series, the Marvel Cinematic Universe returns to more conventional superheroics. The Falcon and the Winter Soldier is the Captain America sequel we’ve been waiting for, filled with stellar action sequences, resonant character work, and a twisty-turny plot. The gang debates how well that last element works, but one thing they can all agree on: director Kari Skogland and head writer Malcolm Spellman do their cast justice, bringing depths to Sam and Bucky we haven’t gotten to see on the big screen. Other topics of discussion include just how relatable the Flag Smashers are, Madripoor’s splashy MCU debut, Sharon Carter’s heel turn, and how Wyatt Russell makes an insufferable character sufferable.

NEXT: he’s not exactly a falcon, but he is a weird little bird-boy. For the first Four-Color Flashback discussing manga, Paul and Arlo take a look at Inio Asano’s Goodnight Punpun: Vol. 1.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:44  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:05:05  –  Main Topic
  • 02:05:00  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “Trouble Man” by Marvin Gaye, Trouble Man (Soundtrack) (1972)
  • “Fly Like an Eagle” by Steve Miller Band, Fly Like an Eagle (1976)

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 431 – “WandaVision (feat. Michael Holland)”

Elizabeth Olsen and Paul Bettany in ‘WandaVision’ (2021), created by Jac Schaeffer

Gobbledygeek episode 431, “WandaVision (feat. Michael Holland),” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

And now back to our regularly scheduled programming. After two long years in the Marvel Cinematic Universe desert, since Avengers: Endgame and its postscript Spider-Man: Far from Home, Marvel’s mightiest are back on the air. For the first MCU series on Disney Plus, we have WandaVision, a TV show that is very much about TV shows and what the medium means to us. The comfy-cozy sitcom rhythm of the show, as Elizabeth Olsen’s Scarlet Witch and Paul Bettany’s Vision make-believe they’re on the sets of The Dick Van Dyke Show or Family Ties, is interrupted by unsettling reminders of where we left these characters. Wanda was grieving–because Vision was dead. What’s going on here? Don’t change that channel, because Paul, Arlo, and special guest Michael Holland–currently post-production supervisor on The Afterparty–discuss how showrunner Jac Schaeffer and director Matt Shakman channel grief, capture the nostalgic spirit of old TV, weaponize fan expectations, and more.

NEXT: we’ll be back, same Bat-time, same Bat-channel.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:50  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:05:53  –  WandaVision
  • 01:51:39  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “A Newlywed Couple” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, WandaVision (2021)
  • “Agatha All Along (feat. Kathryn Hahn)” by Kristen Anderson-Lopez & Robert Lopez, WandaVision (2021)
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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 425 – “evermore (feat. Joseph Lewis)”

Taylor Swift in the music video for ‘willow’ (2020), directed by herself

Gobbledygeek episode 425, “evermore (feat. Joseph Lewis),” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

‘Tis the damn season. Last summer, we convened the Three Heathens–Paul, Arlo, and A/V writer-director Joseph Lewis–to discuss Taylor Swift’s first surprise album of 2020, Folklore. It was surprising not only for the nature of its release but for the folk pop/singer-songwriter shift it marked, becoming the finest achievement of Swift’s career. On her second surprise album of 2020, Evermore, she may have equaled that achievement. The Heathens are back to discuss the progression of Swift’s Joni Mitchell phase, as her lyrics become more reflective and complex. They’re strengthened by producer/co-writer Aaron Dessner’s sonic palette, introducing new sounds to Swift’s oeuvre. It’s true, the boys go a little off the rails into Lynch references, but one thing is undeniable: the more we say, the less you know. Plus, a discussion of the Disney+ making-of/concert film Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions.

NEXT: it’s Hawk the Slayer vs. The Adventures of Robin Hood in a Geek Challenge.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:37  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:03:40  –  Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions
  • 00:16:47  –  Evermore
  • 02:36:36  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “Willow” by Taylor Swift, evermore (2020)
  • “Champagne Problems” by Taylor Swift, evermore (2020)
  • “‘Tis the Damn Season” by Taylor Swift, evermore (2020)
  • “Should’ve Said No” by Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift (2008)
  • “No Body, No Crime (feat. HAIM)” by Taylor Swift, evermore (2020)
  • “No Body, No Crime (The No Hugo, No Stiglitz Remix)” by Joe Lewis
  • “Coney Island (feat. The National)” by Taylor Swift, evermore (2020)
  • “Ivy” by Taylor Swift, evermore (2020)
  • “Cowboy Like Me” by Taylor Swift, evermore (2020)

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 421 – “Drop the Boom On This F#@%ed-Up World”

Britney wins!!!!!!!

Gobbledygeek episode 421, “Drop the Boom On This F#@%ed-Up World,” is available for listening or download right here and on Apple Podcasts here.

We’re still here. The world spins on, at least for a time. In the aftermath of Election Day 2020, there are many variables. Will that loser leave the White House? Will the GOP’s slow-rolling coup pay off? Will a Trumpian shadow militia form, leading to an actual Civil War II? As is the norm, Paul and Arlo have no answers, but they ponder these questions and many others. The boys recount their Election Night spirals; Arlo gets tested for COVID; Paul goes to the severe county of Sevier County; and they discuss some pop culture too, like why the kitchen-sink melodrama of This Is Us works, why Baby Yoda being a monster on The Mandalorian is cool and good, and why Paul hates The Simpsons.

NEXT: for the penultimate episode before our pregnancy-induced hiatus, Vickie Willis Navarra joins us for a Four-Color Flashback discussing Sandman Mystery Theatre: Book One by Matt Wagner, Guy Davis, John Watkiss, and R.G. Taylor.

MUSIC

  • “FDT (feat. Nipsey Hustle)” by YG, Still Brazy (2016)
  • “Three Little Birds” by Bob Marley & The Wailers, Exodus (1977)

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