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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 464 – “West Side Story (2021)”

Ariana DeBose and David Alvarez in West Side Story (2021), directed by Steven Spielberg

Gobbledygeek episode 464, “West Side Story (2021),” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Somethin’s comin’, somethin’ good: this week, Paul and Arlo pirouette through a discussion of Steven Spielberg’s new take on West Side Story, nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars. Is it a spoiler to say they love it? The boys discuss how Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner’s changes enrich the text, why choreographer Justin Peck’s bold choice to discard Jerome Robbins’ iconic choreography was the right move, what it means for the Sharks to be played by Latinx actors, and the joy of watching Spielberg treat every musical number like his and Janusz Kaminski’s playground. Plus, Taco Bell sends Arlo spiraling into an existential crisis, and the boys chat about this year’s other Best Picture nominees.

NEXT: Si Spurrier and Jeff Stokely’s Six-Gun Gorilla is locked and loaded for this month’s Four-Color Flashback.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:53  –  Intro
  • 00:06:39  –  Interminable Oscars Discussion
  • 00:37:43  –  A Look Back to Episode 402
  • 00:47:04  –  West Side Story (2021)
  • 02:14:52  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “Something’s Coming” by Ansel Elgort, West Side Story (2021 Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2021)
  • “Somewhere” by Rita Moreno, West Side Story (2021 Motion Picture Soundtrack) (2021)

GOBBLEDYCARES

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 413 – “Action Park: Everything Is Legal in New Jersey”

The notorious wave pool at Action Park in Vernon, NJ.

Gobbledygeek episode 413, “Action Park: Everything Is Legal in New Jersey,” is available for listening or download right here and on Apple Podcasts here.

As Hamilton taught us, everything is legal in New Jersey. So we shouldn’t be surprised that it was once home to Action Park, the most dangerous amusement park in the world. Eugene Mulvihill’s vision of a lawless hellscape with pleasure as its only principle is the American Dream in miniature, with a guest appearance by Donald Trump himself! Paul and Arlo discuss the new HBO Max documentary Class Action Park, which brought the Mulvihill legend to their attention; some ancillary material available on YouTube, including one insane post-credits sequence; how Paul would love to bean somebody with a flaming tennis ball; and their respective childhoods, one as a latchkey kid in the ‘70s/’80s and one as a cowardly nerd in the ‘90s/’00s. Will they emerge unscathed? Tune in and find out!

Next: another episode of your favorite podcast. No, not that one. This one. Wait. Come back.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:24:00

  • 00:00:30  –  Intro / Main Topic
  • 01:21:07  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • Action Park commercial (1983)
  • “Don’t Talk to Strangers” by The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Turtle Tunes (1994)

THE LINKS

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 410 – “Geek Challenge: Puppet Master vs. Seed of Chucky”

Top: ‘Puppet Master’ (1989), directed by David Schmoeller
Bottom: Jennifer Tilly in ‘Seed of Chucky’ (2004), directed by Don Mancini

Gobbledygeek episode 410, “Geek Challenge: Puppet Master vs. Seed of Chucky,” is available for listening or download right here and on Apple Podcasts here.

They’ll tear you a new puppet hole, bitch! The worlds of Charles Band and Don Mancini collide in a pre-Gobbledyween Geek Challenge. Paul sends Arlo a psychic alert letting him know to watch 1989’s Puppet Master, the first of producer Band’s direct-to-VHS Full Moon Features and the source of approximately one trillion sequels. In turn, Arlo goes meta and has a doll voiced by him call Paul while the real Arlo is tied to a bed behind him, commanding Paul to watch 2004’s Seed of Chucky. Paul recounts the joy of watching Full Moon Features in his 20s, Arlo launches a full-throated defense of Mancini’s vision, and they are both just completely miserable. Plus, the boys have nothing but nice things to say about Taylor Swift’s Folklore.

Next: we’re off, then we’re not.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:49:34

  • 00:00:25  –  Intro / Banter
  • 00:16:56  –  Puppet Master
  • 01:03:15  –  Seed of Chucky
  • 01:45:00  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Master of Puppets” by Metallica, Master of Puppets (1986)
  • “Doll Parts” by Hole, Live Through This (1994)

THE LINKS

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 409 – “Hamilton (feat. Sarah Kosheff)

Daveed Diggs, Okieriete Onaodowan, Anthony Ramos, and Lin-Manuel Miranda in ‘Hamilton’ (2020), directed by Thomas Kail.

Gobbledygeek episode 409, “Hamilton (feat. Sarah Kosheff),” is available for listening or download right here and on Apple Podcasts here.

2020 may be an absolute shitshow, but thanks to Disney+, we can all be in the living room where it happens: the filmed performance of Hamilton, recorded in 2016 with the original Broadway cast, is now available to stream. Paul and Arlo may have talked about Hamilton, oh, once or twice or 18 times since its debut five years ago, but luckily über-fan Sarah Kosheff is on hand to help them find new things to say. Arlo talks about getting to see an actual production of Hamilton for the first time, Paul relays the time he was sprayed with Groff sauce, the gang discusses the up-close nuance of the troupe’s acting, and they address some of the political and cultural criticisms of the show.

Next: we get all dolled up for a Geek Challenge featuring Puppet Master and Seed of Chucky.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 02:15:20

  • 00:00:18  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:01:34  –  Main Topic
  • 02:09:40  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Alexander Hamilton” by Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton, Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2015)
  • “Who Lives, Who Dies, Who Tells Your Story” by Original Broadway Cast of Hamilton, Hamilton (Original Broadway Cast Recording) (2015)

THE LINKS

 

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 408 – “The Last of Us Part II (feat. Kenn Edwards)”

Ellie (Ashley Johnson) in ‘The Last of Us Part II’ (2020).

Gobbleydgeek episode 408, “The Last of Us Part II (feat. Kenn Edwards),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

A deadly virus rages across the world. The U.S. is in shambles. Despite the imminent threat, humans have started to turn on one another. And in other news, this week Paul and Arlo are talking about Naughty Dog’s highly anticipated zombie apocalypse sequel The Last of Us Part II. Joining them for a discussion of this brutal, beautiful game is none other than Alex Jonestown Massacre guitarist Kenn Edwards. The gang discusses how the game departs from its predecessor, the incredible acting of Ashley Johnson and Laura Bailey, how writer-director Nate Druckmann forces the player to confront the consequences of their actions, and more. Also, Arlo didn’t actually play it! Plus, Kenn tells us about AJM’s new album Run-On Death Sentence and his Lost rewatch podcast Pushing the Button.

Next: there’s hope for our ass after all. Sarah Kosheff joins us to discuss the filmed performance of Hamilton.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 02:55:47

  • 00:01:24  –  Intro / Banter
  • 00:06:43  –  Kenn’s new podcast
  • 00:16:25  –  Kenn’s new album
  • 00:30:24  –  The Last of Us Part II
  • 02:45:45  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Future Days” by Troy Baker (2020)
  • “Take On Me” by Ashley Johnson (2020)
  • “Millennial Whoop” by Alex Jonestown Massacre, Run-On Death Sentence (2020)

THE LINKS

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 407 – “Chucky at the Blockbuster Museum”

Gobbledygeek episode 407, “Chucky at the Blockbuster Museum,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

The beauty of Gobbledygeek freestyle episodes is that Paul and Arlo will hop on the microphone and start yammering about something or other, then next thing you know, bam, it’s been a tight 45 on the Child’s Play franchise. Killer doll movies, killer German time travel shows (what up, Dark), killer longings for idealized video stores of yesteryear, killer viruses–this episode’s got it all. It will kill you.

Next: speaking of somebody who got killed, Hamilton: An American Musical comes to Disney+.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:49:40

  • 00:00:20  –  Intro
  • 01:45:06  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Chucky Rap” by Daddyphatsnaps, Chucky Rap (2019)
  • “The Buddi Song” by Mark Hamill & Bear McCreary, Child’s Play (2019)

 

 

 

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 406 – “Jimmy Cliff and the Apocalypse”

Jimmy Cliff in ‘The Harder They Come’ (1972), directed by Perry Henzell

Gobbledygeek episode 406, “Jimmy Cliff and the Apocalypse,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

The world is, yet again, a much different place than when we last recorded an episode of Gobbledygeek. In the month since the police killing of George Floyd, there have been a wave of protests worldwide and renewed conversations about what role police have in society, if any at all. We–Paul and Arlo–are not sure we should be part of this conversation. After postponing recording for many reasons, our initial urge to record some deep, thought-provoking discussion about racial injustice has subsided. We’re two white guys on an extremely niche podcast that is supposedly about pop culture. We are not going to cover any new ground. What we will say, unequivocally, is that Black Lives Matter. Yesterday, today, always. We do discuss the state of the world, George Floyd, Rayshard Brooks, police abolition, ACAB, etc.–hopefully in a respectful way that might interest some of our listeners. Oh, and there’s still a pandemic going on, so we talk about that too.

Fear not: we also talk about pop culture! Paul plays The Last of Us: Part II, Arlo watches great films by Black filmmakers like Charles Burnett and Billy Woodberry, we have a brief discussion on the state of the comics industry mid-COVID, and more. Hopefully there are some laughs.

Next: we’ll be back, theoretically in a week’s time.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:40:35

  • 00:00:40  –  Intro
  • 01:37:36  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Fuck tha Police” by N.W.A., Straight Outta Compton (1988)
  • “Pressure Drop” by Toots & The Maytals, Monkey Man (1970)
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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 404 – “Monty Wezzo’s Flying Quarantine (feat. Wesley Mead)”

We rigorously fact-checked this information and have concluded it is, without doubt, 100% true.

Gobbledygeek episode 404, “Monty Wezzo’s Flying Quarantine (feat. Wesley Mead),” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Rule, Wezzo! Wezzo, rule the podcast! Gobbledygeek’s senior British correspondent, Wesley “Wezzo” Mead, returns after a truly mind-boggling 22-month gap to fill us in on how exactly the UK is falling apart. Boris Johnson is handling the COVID-19 pandemic very poorly, especially for someone who nearly died from the virus–but still not as poorly as Galactic Emperor Trump, with his Space Forces and super-duper missiles. You’ve heard all about how Paul and Arlo are coping with quarantine, but what’s Wezzo been watching? Well, do you remember the Olsen twins sitcom Two of a Kind and Amanda Bynes vehicle What I Like About You? No? That’s okay, Wezzo remembers them for you! Nostalgia plays a big role this episode, as we pine for our glory days from the discomfort of our hellish present; and specifically, those tactile yet intangible sense memories. Wow, deep! But it’s mostly What I Like About You.

Next: gonna cruise her round the town, show everybody what I’ve found, rock ‘n’ roll with all my friends, hopin’ the music never ends, these happy days are yours and mine, oh happy days.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:53:55

  • 00:00:33  –  Intro? (Time has no meaning anymore…)
  • 01:51:05   –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Blinded by the White” by Butch Walker, American Love Story (2020)
  • “Sweet” by Porridge Radio, Every Bad (2020)

LINKS

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Listen to Gobbledgyeek Episode 403 – “Normal People Like Peanut Butter”

Patrick Stewart does not deserve this, but we do.

Gobbledygeek episode 402, “Normal People Like Peanut Butter,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Another week, another reckoning with the apocalypse. As the country gears up to reopen, Paul and Arlo discuss how their home states of Alabama and Ohio are handling things. They are not optimistic! Crowds packed close, restaurants teeming with teens, maskless mugs–these things, and more, contribute to our hosts’ reluctance to get this society back on the road. After they’re done ruminating on our impending doom, Paul raves about Hulu’s Normal People; Arlo recommends two more Hulu series, PEN15 and Ramy; they’re both excited about the forthcoming Sandman audio drama; and the announcement of a much sooner release date for the filmed performance of Hamilton leads Arlo to go negative on negativity. Plus, bones slathered in peanut butter.

Next: senior British correspondent Wesley Mead updates us on life in Boris Johnson’s UK.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:37:20

  • 00:01:00  –  Intro? (Time has no meaning anymore…)
  • 01:34:30  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Theme From Cheers (Where Everybody Knows Your Name)” by Gary Portnoy (1982)
  • “Peanut Butter Sandwich” by Raffi, Singable Songs for the Very Young (1976)

THE LINKS

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 402 – “West Side Story”

‘West Side Story’ (1961) directed by Jerome Robbins and Robert Wise

Gobbledygeek episode 402, “West Side Story,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

When you’re a geek, you’re a geek til ya die, from the stupid reviews to the heaviest sighs. And so, tonight, tonight, the geeks are out tonight–we’re talkin’ finger-snappin’, toe-tappin’ street gangs, daddy-o! Out of seemingly nowhere, Arlo pressures Paul into watching Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins’ 1961 adaptation of the 1957 Broadway show West Side Story by Arthur Laurents, Stephen Sondheim, and Leonard Bernstein. You might have heard of it! Somehow, though both of them love musicals–as documented extensively on this podcast–neither Arlo nor Paul had ever seen one of the most famous, and the most Oscar-adorned, musicals ever made. And so the boys discuss how, in true Romeo and Juliet fashion, Tony and Maria are kind of boring; George Chakiris and Rita Moreno being the film’s true stars; Robbins’ dynamic dance choreography; how you’ve just got to stay loose, boy, and accept the movie’s campy, colorful world; and more. Plus, a quarantine update and an exciting new behind-the-scenes development.

Next: T-B-muthafuckin’-D.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:48:58

  • 00:00:25  –  Intro
  • 00:17:20  –  Main Topic
  • 01:46:45  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “Cool” by Tucker Smith, West Side Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1961)
  • “America” by Rita Moreno, West Side Story (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1961)

THE LINKS