Afleveringen
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When you think about teens and pre-teen shows in the 90s, what shows do you think about? Specifically, do you think about the diverse representation of girls in the shows? Do you think about the tropes? Do you think about what new norms they brought to the realms of sci-fi and fantasy?
And do you think about still known mainstays like Ocean Girl? This 1994 ecological epic sits squarely between the Land of the Lost remake and Stargate: SG-1 in terms of fantasy/sci-fi television. And with such a strong female lead makes one wonder - were female tv protagonists in the 90s just better in some ways than the ones we have now? Did they represent more? And what kind of legacy has Ocean Girl left on our watery world?
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As we celebrate Magnus' birthday, it's time to talk about one of the most famous sitcoms of all time with one of the most well-known, self assured, and yet farcical characters of all time. Is Keeping Up Appearances the perfect sitcom? In many ways, yes. But between a premature departure of its main star and fighting between the director and the writer, it could've all gone wrong.
Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet, if you please) has meticulously attempted to craft a world around her. And that meticulous crafting is always subject to going wrong. Especially when her family and friends get involved. But the thing is- with all her affectations and misdirections- Hyacinth who dreams of an upper class British life is a woman you can't help but love. Just a little.
Her son Sheridan feels the same way I'm sure.
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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The return of Summer Shorts may be imminent or may be as far away as summer itself. But all that is up to you. Which Batman live action film would you like to talk about the most?
Are you a Bale bat or does Burton's vision of Gotham city still hold your imagination? What about the awakenings you may have gotten from Clooney whose apology tour for his own Batman seems neverending?
The Batscussion is in your hands, listeners. And we are taking your requests.
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Just a quick episode on probably the most iconic movie of the late 90s. It has everything. Homoromanticism, Jared Leto getting beat up, bunk beds in decaying basements, Edward Norton discovering self help groups, and people woefully misunderstanding *the point* of it all.
What are John and Magnus discussing? How about the sexy, gritty, and anti-capitalist Palahniuk/Fincher fever dream known as 99's Fight Club?
It truly is a film about love that dare not speak its name. With great intention. And it may not be about exactly what you believe it is (at least according to John).
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In this episode, John and Magnus tackle two rather big questions. The first is why does Netflix keep cancelling so many shows? At what point have they had too much cake and tried to eat it too?
The other question is whether a style or genre can get in the way of a show becoming something great. Q Force (or Queer Force) is a great example of this. Is it a show about gay underdogs who happen to be spies or is it a show about spycraft where the main cast is mostly gay?
The ten episode season of Q Force doesn't seem to answer that question and leaves a lot of stones unturned. Though there were great moments, did the tone work? Did the sure fire producers and voice casting succeed? And what would've happened if Twink had truly been the main character we deserved?
All good questions and perhaps some answers right here at EiG.
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What's one of the first movies that made you think about film and about your life? What's one of the first films that is intensely intimate for you?
For John, there was no greater film for his birthday month and for a conversation about star-crossed lovers quite like 94/95's Sum of Us. It's a seminal film with young Russell Crowe playing a gay rugby plumber at that age in life where libido is still enough but soon there's so much more.
It's a film that's still prescient and adds a lot to the conversation about both how things are adapted from stage to screen and also what happens when good representation happens. It's a movie about family dynamics and love. It's probably one of the best lgbt films ever made, at least in John's opinion.
And it's the sum of us.
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It's a funny thing what streaming services give and take away. And this coming of age story from the 1993 wouldn't have been a success nor had its longevity without living in a pre-streaming world where syndication made it a household favorite. Do you think Sister Act 2 would've survived making less money than its predecessor with less accolades from the critics?
Truth be told, and you can't lie to nuns, Sister Act 2 is a movie about legacy (on and off the screen), about community, and about what happens when nuns stop being pious and start getting real. Or something like that.
Join in for a celebration about the movie that launched a thousand careers, a lot of choirs in Japan, and that is probably Whoopi Goldberg's most consistently asked about film.
La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, lah.
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This episode goes places. Like, scary places. That's what raatmas when Raatma raatmas.
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But it might not be the 90s you expect. What show would you say focuses on two long lost lovers meeting again after years and lifetimes apart? What if John and Magnus told you it was on the BBC? What if John and Magnus told you it was in the top 30 of Britain's Best Sitcoms?
As Time Goes By is an exquisite sitcom. It has a vintage feel and its filled with loveliness and conversation. Even the misunderstandings are talked about. And truly as a platform to introduce Judi Dench to the nation did it succeed. If you haven't seen it, it'll be on Britbox. And you are welcome for nine series of fun and warmth (the tenth series isn't really a full final season).
And in thanks for you being a loyal listener, John and Magnus have something special planned for after the wrap-up in thanks for you being so patient in delivery of this episode. So please do stick around.
Music is "Fill the Beat Chilled Wave" from Pixabay, royalty free music.
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It may seem improbable that one of the most influential ill-fated queer love stories of generations happened in Wyoming. But the vistas, the silence, the things unsaid - made it the perfect place for Brokeback Mountain.
Not just at the height of Ang Lee's directorial power (though John enjoys another of his movie's quite a bit more), with a cast of many actors still going strong - Brokeback Mountain is the sort of movie to redefine several genres while making sense in the compendium of American pop culture history (especially westerns).
We didn't know how to quit it, so we had to make an episode about it. Be warned though, the movie itself is harrowing and brutal in spots, so whatever trigger warning you need - the movie is real and honest and violent at points.
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You've probably lived your whole life seeing It's A Wonderful Life during the winter holidays. It's a schmaltzy movie about a man who a town rallies around with some edges of a raw psyche where Jimmy Stewart really does explore the darker side of post-war America (this episode is explicit because of the darker themes).
But it's not about the movie. It's about how it wormed its way into pop culture and especially tv pop culture. In this season finale, John and Magnus examine three episodes heavily influenced by It's A Wonderful Life
Season 5 of Boy Meets World's "A Very Topanga Christmas"
Season 8 of Family Matters "Father Time"
and Season 2 of Growing Pains "The Kid"
to examine how sitcoms use both the holidays and familiar film tropes as shorthand to tell moral tales with no wiggle rooms that sometimes miss the mark of their own message.
So grab your favorite holiday beverage, tune in, and try not to cringe too hard when John means to say It's a Wonderful Life and starts to say It's A Small World instead. There was a lot of eggnog imbibed during the recording of this episode- so thank you for your patience.
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For the longest time, it was the second highest grossing holiday film ever. An adaptation of an adaptation with a high list comedic powerhouse at its helm and Ron Howard in the directing chair, The Grinch 2000 could've fallen flat on its face.
But as John and Magnus discuss, it is a rather complex tale about power, othering, consumerism, and even the trauma that goes along with being insightful. From great casting (even outside of the Grinchian makeup chair) to thoughtful live action techniques to the joy of Christine Baranski's Martha May Whovier - the Grinch is a classic that could be on rotation year round.
And it's a fever dream John and Magnus wouldn't have any other way.
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Hi! My name is American Ken and my job is podcast. This is my co-host, British Ken whose job is also podcast. We're here today to talk to you about the Barbie movie.
From its philosophical underpinning to both its hilarity and tragedy to just a couple of moments that bugged us slightly. We are Ken and Ken and we love pop culture! And horses.
This episode is marked explicit because American Ken goes on a bit of a rant about Earring Magic Ken and how screen accurate they *should've* been.
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Looking towards Christmas and the bridge between a night of terror/holiness (depending on when you stop watching the Night on Bald Mountain Fantasia sequence) - John and Magnus decided to talk about films with a large cultural impact and thus a conversation about the world of Nightmare Before Christmas was born. From now annual Hollywood Bowl romps to a variety of dvd/bluray/4K options. From cosplay to Haunted Mansion overlays - Nightmare Before Christmas is possibly the most protected yet merchandised, most occult and yet most moralistic of its stop motion ventures, and its certainly one of the most celebrated on its sleeper hits.
But how far does the culture go? What questions about who we are and how we live and what we celebrate does it ask? And will the Long Live the Pumpkin Queen sequel book be at least as good as the Nightmare Kingdom Heart Levels? Are the adults in Nightmare an homage to the original Muppet Babies cartoon? All these questions and thoughts (and more!) on another episode to warm your heart. Long Live the Pumpkin King!
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Since nothing is spookier than change, John and Magnus decided that the best way to spook the listeners is to switch up the format of Everything is Gay a bit (every now and then).
In this format change, Body of Work is all about one actor and the work we've both known them for while also learning a few new things about them.
Combing through the career of eccentric horror actor Matthew Lillard, John and Magnus get to look back on a career that includes Shakespeare, punks in SLC, mysteries on Scooby Doo islands (both live action and cartoon), iconic 90s slashers, as well as the impossible basement of the 13 Ghosts house.
It turns out, in one way or another, we're all fans of Matthew Lillard. Whether we want to be or not.
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Are you in love with found footage horror films? Or were you once upon a time? Then join John and Magnus through a trip down memory lane. Or perhaps memory present.
John begins with a bit of history of the found footage film, starting with a very famous and mostly somewhat still banned film from Italy. And then skip to 1999's very popular and one of the first Internet led successes with The Blair Witch Project. And while there are many other found footages between then and now - Magnus interjects with found footage video games he really loves like the Backrooms.
Along with suggestions, John finishes the episode strong with one of his favorite new found footage recommendations - the slick and still ongoing Hell House series (with a shoutout to Gonjiam: Haunted Asylum from Korea and the V/H/S series). Which leaves John with his favorite finale question: Which found footage horror film is your fave?
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15 years is an eternity in television. It is very rarely reached in dark American fantasy. And yet, that is what Supernatural did. A show about brothers criss-crossing the country and fighting monsters of the week. And then demons.
And then angels.
And then one very special angel.
It's time to talk about Destiel - the couple that almost were, never were, were definitely canon, couldn't possibly be, were the most aching slow burn subtext of the century - and it was all made/not made possible by acting, writing, production staff, fan service, bitterness against fans, and several remarkable episodes and outside relationships that changed the way some fantasy viewers saw masculinity and the search for self.
How did John and Magnus keep this discussion about Dean Winchester and Castiel to under two hours? No idea. But here are the results!
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Every now and then, it's nice to refresh the voices you hear talking about what you love. In the case of our Halloween kick off, and since there's nothing spookier than change, John invited their friend Elizabeth on to talk about 1985's Clue.
A movie that took time to become an iconic classic. A movie you've seen on tv, on dvd, on streaming services. A movie you've quoted endlessly with your friends probably. So what is there left to say? What is there left to uncover? Can you spend a whole podcast episode just reminiscing about why you like a thing?
The answers may surprise you and to make a long podcast short (too late!) listen in and find out as Elizabeth and John discuss Clue! Let's Shake, Rattle, and Roll!
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This franchise was a revolution but perhaps it was almost too much. It changed the way fans looked at indie horror and grabbed onto the imagination of thousands that dug through its codes and previews and games looking for clues. It was something fresh and new and frightening. It was jump scares and changing posters and a feeling of being trapped.
But as John and Magnus discuss, for all the good of the start of Five Nights at Freddys, it does have a few warts. From its title character being little more than a helper role as the series moved on to insight about the Afton family actually making Spring Trap much less frightening to if its movement from horror with a sci-fi twist to sci-fi with a horror twist was maybe not as interesting and beneficial as first thought-
It's Five Nights at Freddys. Nine games plus, countless books, more merch than you could shake a stick at. And somehow still compelling. Still something to talk about and dream (nightmare) about. For better or worst, it changed the landscape of neohorror and we're still very enthralled.
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Along with John and Magnus, come and Lay All Your Love on this classic and fun jukebox musical. From 1974 when the band ABBA entered our hearts via the Eurovision song contest to a film musical that invited you to envision yourself drinking and loving on the beaches of a private Grecian island - Mamma Mia is all you want and more.
It's not even just about the story, it's about the culture and the time period and an unexpected celebration of joy and caring. It's a musical that knows exactly what it is and even its missteps aren't large enough to tank it's beautifully femme dream of free love, dancing, and Meryl Streep in thigh high platform boots performing as Donna and the Dynamos.
If you're looking to talk about another summer film where the cast and crew had a good time but still leave a heartfelt message and even leave a safer masculinity than before when done - Mamma Mia is gonna be your next beach hit. Especially if you like turquoise and white.
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