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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 480 – “Elvis”

Tom Hanks and Austin Butler in Elvis (2022), directed by Baz Luhrmann

Gobbledygeek episode 480, “Elvis,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

From Tupelo to Memphis, from Hollywood to Vegas, Elvis Presley conquered America–and now, telling his story, an Australian filmmaker has conquered the biopic. The operatic, maximalist, subtlety-eschewing Baz Luhrmann returns to the screen with Elvis, delivering the glitzy, excessive tribute this mythical/kitsch-ical icon deserves. Paul and Arlo share their personal connections to Elvis, rave about Austin Butler’s transformation into the King, discuss how the film’s portrayal of Elvis’ racial and sexual impact stack up to the real deal, and behold Tom Hanks’ embodiment of Satan. Here comes Sandy Claws! 

NEXT: when the last streaming podcast deletes, our job will be finished. Eric Sipple joins us to discuss Netflix’s adaptation of The Sandman.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:21  –  Intro
  • 00:03:08  –  Our histories with The King
  • 00:29:48  –  Elvis
  • 01:54:05  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “Hound Dog” by Big Mama Thornton, Hound Dog: The Peacock Recordings (1992)
  • “Steamroller Blues” by Elvis Presley, Walk a Mile in My Shoes (1995)

GOBBLEDYCARES

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 479 – “Sad & Weird”

Gobbledygeek episode 479, “Sad & Weird,” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

For another freestyle, Paul and Arlo are getting weird. As in “Weird Al” Yankovic, whom Arlo recently saw with their good buddy Kenn Edwards. Arlo recounts the concert moment he’d been waiting for all his life, then Paul discusses the joys and frustrations of the first-ever virtual Slayage conference. Plus, brief ruminations on Nope, Thor: Love and Thunder, and The Rehearsal; and we remember our friend Chelsea Hawk.

NEXT: TBD.

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “We Would Be Building” by John Fahey, Days Have Gone By, Vol. 6 (1967)
  • “Lame Claim to Fame” by “Weird Al” Yankovic, Mandatory Fun (2014)

GOBBLEDYCARES

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 454 – “Gobbledyween: Rockula (feat. Eric Sipple)”

Dean Cameron in Rockula (1990), directed by Luca Bercovici

Gobbledygeek episode 454, “Gobbledyween: Rockula (feat. Eric Sipple),” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Gobbledyween has come to a close for another year–and we’re going out with a fang! To round out our month of frightening films, we’ve chosen a movie most people have probably never heard of: Rockula, a vampiric musical from 1990 starring Dean Cameron as the bloodsucking Ralph, cursed to try and win back the love of his immortal life every 22 years. We have also chosen to torture none other than Mimesis author Eric Sipple, who has been forced to endure this film with Paul and Arlo. The gang discusses mirror selves, farting bats, resentful stars, and of course, Bo Diddley.

NEXT: enough inner darkness, how about some Outer Darkness? For our next Four-Color Flashback, we explore the interstellar terror of John Layman and Afu Chan’s 2018-19 Image series.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:40  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:09:36  –  Rockula
  • 01:29:46  –  The Box Office Game!
  • 01:52:26  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “Rockula” by Los Straitjackets, Damas y Caballeros (2001)
  • “Rockula” by Jesse Cutler, Test of Time (2008)

GOBBLEDYCARES

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 453 – “Gobbledyween: The Fly (feat. Kenn Edwards)”

Geena Davis and Jeff Goldblum in The Fly (1986), directed by David Cronenberg

Gobbledygeek episode 453, “Gobbledyween: The Fly (feat. Kenn Edwards),” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

Have you ever heard of insect podcasts? Neither have we. Paul and Arlo continue Gobbledyween 2021 with a deep penetrating dive into the plasma pool, as Alex Jonestown Massacre guitarist Kenn Edwards teleports on over to discuss David Cronenberg’s 1986 classic The Fly. The gang places the film in the context of the AIDS epidemic, marvels at just how charming it is, raves about Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis’ chemistry, and declares makeup effects artist Chris Walas to be one of the unsung heroes of ‘80s cinema. Plus, Kenn gives us a breakdown of the 20 (!) live events he’s been to post-vaccine.

NEXT: all things must come to an end, and so Gobbledyween returns to the grave after one final performance. Mimesis author Eric Sipple helps us lift the coffin lid on Luca Bercovici’s 1990 masterpiece Rockula.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:00:20  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:05:42  –  The Fly
  • 00:11:18  –  Oh wait, it’s Ted Lasso tangents and concert reviews…
  • 00:47:35  –  Okay, back to The Fly, for real this time
  • 01:26:46  –  Kenn blindsides us with his House of the Devil thoughts
  • 01:30:00  –  Aaaaaand the finale of our The Fly discussion
  • 02:01:20  –  The Box Office Game!
  • 02:26:28  –  Outro / Next

LINKS

MUSIC

  • “Pretty Fly (for a White Guy)” by The Offspring, Americana (1998)
  • “Fly Away” by Lenny Kravitz, 5 (1998)

GOBBLEDYCARES

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Listen to Episode 441 – “The Americans: Season 2 (feat. Wesley Mead)”

Margo Martindale, Keri Russell, and Matthew Rhys in The Americans season 2 (2014)

Gobbledygeek episode 441, “The Americans: Season 2 (feat. Wesley Mead),” is available for listening or download right here, on Spotify, and on Apple Podcasts.

You know what they say: Parenting is hard, especially when you’re undercover KGB operatives masquerading as a suburban American couple. As Paul, Arlo, and special guest Wesley “Wezzo” Mead dive into season 2 of Joe Weisberg and Joel Fields’ modern classic The Americans, they discover all the ways child-rearing is difficult for Philip and Elizabeth Jennings. This includes concealing your secret identity; setting up a decoy aunt; keeping your kids out of the church; and shielding them from the dreaded “spurtsposition.” Plus, Paul and Wezzo rock out to the new Fratellis album and share some nice words about Ted Lasso.

NEXT: it’s My Favorite Year to take a stroll down Sunset Blvd. on a new Geek Challenge.

BREAKDOWN

  • 00:01:16  –  Intro / Guest
  • 00:14:17  –  Main Topic
  • 01:51:00  –  Outro / Next

MUSIC

  • “Twilight Zone” by Golden Earring, Cut (1982)
  • “Here Comes the Flood” by Peter Gabriel, Peter Gabriel (1977)

GOBBLEDYCARES

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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 390 – “Freegobble: Return to InfoPrison”

A Shakey’s Pizza in the wild.

Gobbledygeek episode 390, “Freegobble: Return to InfoPrison,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Ever have a job so shitty, it haunts you years (or even decades) down the line? Paul and Arlo have, and it’s called Gobbledygeek! Hey-o! In all seriousness (?), Paul recounts a traumatic experience at Shakey’s Pizza and Arlo is filled with regret over his time at the right-wing call center InfoCision. Cue flashbacks to high school football teams ravenous for wings and evil televangelists separating the faithful from what little coin they carry. Speaking of the latter, Arlo laments Kanye West’s evangelical turn on Jesus Is King. Elsewhere, Paul watches TV, including Succession, Primal, Daybreak, Watchmen, and Modern Love; and braves crowds of drunken revelers at shows for Bastille, Joywave, Trampled by Turtles, and The Avett Bros.

Next: TBD.

THE BREAKDOWN

Total Run Time: 01:39:58

  • 00:00:33  –  Intro
  • 00:01:12  –  We are NOT sponsored by the Gobble meal delivery service
  • 00:07:30  –  Cold pizza and really, really hot wings
  • 00:14:43  –  Way too much about InfoCision
  • 00:43:48  –  Not nearly enough about some great new TV shows
  • 00:54:08  –  More than a little bit about Succession
  • 01:07:20  –  Unfortunately, we discuss the new Kanye album
  • 01:15:30  –  A Popeye’s chicken sandwich interlude
  • 01:17:15  –  Back to Kanye (and controversial comments on Beyoncé)
  • 01:24:31  –  Lastly, Paul’s been to some concerts
  • 01:37:05  –  Outro / Next

THE MUSIC

  • “This Fucking Job” by Drive-By Truckers, The Big To-Do (2010)
  • “Blastoffff” by Joywave, Blastoffff (Single) (2018)

THE LINKS

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 378 – “The Dog Ate My Sleep”

He only looks innocent.

Gobbledygeek episode 378, “The Dog Ate My Sleep,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

We’re tired. So tired. That’s what you want to hear when you’re about to fire up a podcast, right? You are reading this, aren’t you? Buried among such illuminating subjects as the coffee Arlo’s drinking, Paul’s underhanded behind-the-scenes manipulations, and the boys’ general unprofessionalism, there is indeed some pop culture palaver and parley. The boys are digging HBO’s troubled teens drama Euphoria despite being approximately 400 years too old to say things like “that’s a mood”; Arlo is losing faith in The Handmaid’s Tale; Paul remembers Yesterday; and they both are in awe of Toy Story 4 being so much more than a cynical cash-grab.

Next: Toby Maguire now vanquished, Jake Gyllenhaal finally makes his way into a Spider-Man movie, donning a fishbowl for Spider-Man: Far From Home.

(Show notes for “The Dog Ate My Sleep.”)

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Listen to Gobbledygeek Episode 375 – “300ccs of Thorazine”

Gobbledygeek episode 375, “300ccs of Thorazine,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

How does one go from lamenting the untimely demise of Tom King’s Batman to discussing the power structures that dictate what one finds culturally acceptable in any given generation? There’s only one way to find out: by listening to this week’s Gobbledygeek! Paul and Arlo blather about superheroic drama, including Superman: The Animated Series; opinions that have evolved with time, whether they’re on The Downward Spiral or She-Ra: Princess of Power; and why the hell Pete Venkman was carrying 300ccs of Thorazine.

Next: Johny Ho joins Paul and Arlo to discuss Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese in the latest Four-Color Flashback.

(Show notes for “300ccs of Thorazine.”)

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Listen to ‘Gobbledygeek’ Episode 359, “Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters”

Art from ‘Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters’ by Mike Grell.

Gobbledygeek episode 359, “Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters,” is available for listening or download right here and on iTunes here.

Ollie, draw back your bow and let your arrow go straight to that killer’s heart. For the penultimate Four-Color Flashback of the year, and the final DC installment of our Age of Heroes project, Paul and Arlo head to the asphalt jungle of Seattle as Oliver Queen stalks his street punk prey in Mike Grell’s 1987 miniseries Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters. As was common practice in the ‘80s, Grell reimagined the character of Green Arrow as grimmer, grittier, and existing in a real world full of boobs and blood. The boys discuss why Grell, by and large, does not really pull this off; the two really interesting moments of subversion he does manage; his stellar, sketchy, detailed artwork; and Dinah Lance’s near-fridging. Plus, the boys honor Stan Lee; Arlo cooks up some groovy spaghetti with the new White Album set; Paul needs a Bodyguard; and things get horrifying with The Immortal Hulk and Outer Darkness.

Next: happy Thanksgiving! Paul and Arlo return next month to close out the Age of Heroes with Tom King and Gabriel Hernandez Walta’s The Vision, joined by their pal Jed Waters Keith.

(Show notes for “Green Arrow: The Longbow Hunters.”)