Based On Nothing

Writer Alex Kane (@alexjkane) joins me on the show this week for a discussion about his book Star Wars: Knights of The Old Republic. It's an in depth oral history of the classic and beloved game and you can get it right now! from Boss Fight Books. We also talk everything Star Wars, the Halo video games, the Coen Brothers, the Alien movies, our love of sci-fi and more.  If I don't do a big five year anniversary episode this month, I'll do it next month. Thank you for listening for the last five years.

My friend Ian Kimble (@iguessian) from Shoestring Gold Films is back. The movie Dead Giveaway that we made together two years ago is premiering at the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival on May 10th. We talk about shooting the movie, our dumb lives, First Man, Elizabeth Holmes, Her Smell, scammers and more. All the while Ian plays Spider-Man on PS4. It's thrilling

Friend of the show @HeIsMaxBarth to talk about his band Jackson Moe, how fucked up American politics and 2020 are, living in Philadelphia, and how great the movie Walk Hard is. 

Carrie Wittmer (@carriesnotscary) returns to end the terrible, long, stupid year of 2018. She has a new book called New Erotica For Feminists: Satirical Fantasies of Love, Lust and Equal Pay that you can and should buy now. We talk about how our favorite movies and tv of 2018 including The Favourite, Widows, not watching Amazon's The Romanoffs, The Americans, Into The Spider-Verse and much more. We all made it through another terrible year and we are all stronger and weirder for it. Thank you so much for listening. Watch Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story with your family. See you in 2019.

Taking the month of October as easy as possible, apologies. Lots coming in November. TJ Wells joins me to talk about A Star Is Born, Venom, The Sisters Brothers, The Old Man & The Gun, Lodge 49, Sharon Van Etten, Kurt Vile, The Rider and more. Also I find out that Wyatt Russell is Kurt Russell's son, and I am very delighted by this revelation. 

I recorded this episode once with my friend Luke but then it got annihilated by my computer. Then I recorded it in two halves with my friend TJ, but the second half got annihilated by my computer again. I recorded a second half with Luke and it finally made it all the way. We talk about Forever, Searching, Support The Girls, The Good Place, American Vandal, BoJack Horseman, Maniac on Netflix which I think is a masterpiece, and much more. It's been a long month, thank you for your patience. 

This week I am joined by Carrie Wittmer, a comedian and television/entertainment reporter. We get to know each other, talk about the MCU and Paddington 2, the fantastic new Mitski album BE THE COWBOY and more. Then Carrie and I dissect Halt and Catch Fire, an underrated show that we both love dearly. If you have seen the show this episode is for you. If you haven't seen the show maybe this episode will make you want to start it! All four season are available on Netflix and it is one of the very best there is.  Carrie has a book called NEW EROTICA FOR FEMINISTS coming out on November 13th. She is on Twitter @Carriesnotscary.

Layne made the podcast a new theme song because he is a passionate rock and roll boy who likes podcasts. Check out his band LAYNE MONTGOMERY PAPER COMPANY and his Twitter @BuffaloSpringsteen

For the monumental 150th episode we premiere a new theme song by friend of the show LAYNE MONTGOMERY from LAYNE MONTGOMERY PAPER COMPANY. He does the rock and roll music real good. Then @Malive from the wonderful podcast @AFewBeersIn joins me to discuss why this podcast is ultimately bad, podcast longevity, Phil Elverum and Michelle Williams, the wonderful Star Wars novel Lost Stars by Claudia Grey, the positive parts of the Star Wars fandom, Clone Wars and Rebels, Ben Affleck's ultimately bad movie career, and much more. We also got a call from previous guest Kevin Stariker where we rank the Mission Impossible movies and talk about how wonderful and horny Mamma Mia: Here We Go Again is. Thanks for listening. 150 more I guess.

Friend of the show TJ Wells returns to discuss the very funny and underrated movie The House - also former guest Max Scholnick calls in to talk about working on and acting in The House. Then TJ and I discuss The Rider, First Reformed, Blade Runner 2049, Creed, How To Train Your Dragon, Lean On Pete, The Last Jedi, the thick of summer, The Menzingers, Los Campesinos, the toxic parts of the Star Wars fandom that want to ruin it for everyone else, positive people putting positivity into the world, friends helping friends, and the upcoming and monumental episode #150

Good friend of the show Isaac returns. We recorded an episode two weeks ago that was lost to the abyss. We record another one because we won't let that stop us. We talk about The Incredibles 2, Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Last Jedi, First Reformed, Anton Yelchin and Green Room, Game of Thrones going off the rails, Westworld, The Leftovers, Tomorrowland, Motion City Soundtrack, Moneen, and more. 

Ryan H. Walsh, author of the new book Astral Weeks: A Secret History of 1968 & singer of the band Hallelujah The Hills is back on the show. Last time he was here he was writing this book and now it's out! The book is a fascinating examination of the arts and culture scene of Boston in 1968 and Van Morrison's time there before he recorded Astral Weeks. We talk all about his extensive research and writing process, his book tour, the letters he received from Jonathan Richman, a couple legendary Boston figures like Mel Lyman, and the enigma that is Van Morrison's beautiful album Astral Weeks. We also talk about his band, Twin Peaks The Return, his recent appearance on Never Not Funny, David Crosby not knowing who Stephen Malkmus is and much more!

Dear friend of the show @Malive from @AFewBeersIn returns to discuss how good of an actress Amy Adams is and her filmography. We also discuss The Ex starring Zach Braff, the run of mid 2000's parody films, Catch Me If You Can, Enchanted, George Clooney punching David O. Russell, and Amy Adams performance in Arrival. 

Friend of the show @MrLukeThornton returns and we discuss the disastrous and fascinating behind the scenes of the Hobbit trilogy, the new Hop Along album and their Philadelphia album release show, Phantom Thread, Solo, Breath of The Wild, Japanese Breakfast, Barry, Atlanta, Infinity War and much more. Stay until the very end for two surprises.