Amusing Ourselves to Death: Recent Episodes
Justin Passino and Jiah Peck
Amusing Ourselves to Death is a conversational podcast about pop culture and the media we love. Also guest comedians, games, and just a little bit of existential dread!
It's that time of the year again! Christy, Jiah and Justin go through their Top 23 of 2023 lists. Get ready for some chip munching, multiple bathroom breaks and Jiah learning what a Pot Pie is.
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On this week's episode, instead of going to bed at a reasonable hour, we talk lengthily about Purple Rain.
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This week we're talking the David Fincher film Fight Club starring Brad Pitt, Edward Norton and Helena Bonham Carter. Also, a new KIDPROVISED MOVIES.
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This week we talk about Justin's movie pick A KNIGHT'S TALE starring Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Paul Bettany, Mark Addy and Alan Tudyk.
And, later in the show, we have a new segment called KIDPROVISED MOVIES where Christy has children guess the plots of movies based only on their titles.
So hop on your horse and listen on your way to the next tourney because the Boyz (and Christy) are back in town.
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Our March 2023 Grab Bag! We Scream 6, Creed 3, 65, A Good Person, Inside, John Wick 4, Daisy Jones and the Six, Women Talking, Better Things and more!!
The Boys welcome Christy Devlin to the show once again to talk about Amy Heckerling's 1995 classic CLUELESS. They also talk about Peaches covered in cum, their various shoplifting exploits and the concept of organ manipulation through scents!
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February 2023 Grab-Bag episode!! The Boys talk about their February content consumption including 80 FOR BRADY, MISSING, KNOCK AT THE CABIN, COCAINE BEAR and more!
The boys talk M3GAN, PLANE, SKINAMARINK and a bunch of other movies and shows they've been watching this month. Because they're interesting, thoughtful people. And they're fine. Don't worry about them. They're just fine.
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Here it is. Episode 1-Hundo, baby! What an achievement! It’s also our last, for now. That’s right, The Boyz are going on Indefinite Hiatus. Everything is fine (really!), we just need a break from the weekly grind of coming up with hot takes on the things we love. Thanks for all the love and clicks. So anyway, in this one we talk about Kevin Smith’s “Clerks”, about two grown men going nowhere in life. We’re not even supposed to be podcasting today!
Evan Hipszer (@evhipszer) returns to the show to explore post-high school romance, holding up boomboxes and felony tax evasion with 1989’s “Say Anything…”
Filmmaker Kevin Kirner (@frankbjhackneyed) returns from the west coast to ask questions he already knows the answer to, pigf**k, and we dive into the Paul Thomas Anderson film “The Master”.
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Kat Aldrich (@kathleenraldrich) returns to discuss the 2001 Reese Witherspoon legal comedy “Legally Blonde”.
Joel Soto (@josoto123) joins the show to discuss the 1995 Will Smith/Martin Lawrence action blockbuster “Bad Boys”.
Improv comedians Aaron Alkasov (@aalkasov) and Christy Devlin (@ovaviews) return for another installment in our “May to December Relationship” series, covering the 2005 romcom “Prime”. Yeah we hadn’t heard of this either. But it’s a fun talk where we unearth romantic regrets and debate redacting every mere mention of a video game.
Check out Justin and Christy’s improv classes and upcoming shows at Steelstacks.org/comedy
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Comedian Joe Rovner (@joerovner) joins the show for what started as a discussion of the final Roger Moore James Bond movie “A View to a Kill” but evolved into a wide-spanning exploration of the entire franchise.
Actor/comedian David Bluvband (@bluvbot) returns to stay up late and descend into the loopy madness that is Martin Scorsese’s “After Hours”.
Erica Sylvester (@improverica) joins Justin & Jiah to collectively slip on a banana peel into the epic comedy classic “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World”.
Hidden Gems Game - (47:24:00) UGTO - (1:06:00)
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Justin & Jiah investigate the 2008 Coen brother’s espionage comedy “Burn After Reading”.
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J.J. Ellis (@decentexposureradio) joins Justin & Jiah to get WEIRD and dive into the 1989 cult film “UHF” starring “Weird Al” Yankovic.
Twinkie Wiener Sandwich Feast - (29:00:00)
Weird Al Trivia - (01:03:00)
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Andrew Radcliffe (@radcliffe.strong) owner of Radcliffe’s Strength House, joins Justin & Jiah to lift up our perceptions of 1991’s surfer-bank robbery flick “Point Break”.
Interview: 12:23:00 Games: 1:11:00 UGTO: 1:21:41
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Chris Regect, owner of Lehigh Valley Apparel Creations (LVAC) and co-organizer of the local Let's Hang Out wrestling shows joins us to talk about the history of WWE's The Royal Rumble. We specifically cover the Royal Rumbles of 1988, 1992, 2001 and 2015 as well as personal histories with wrestling, the Pennsylvania indie-wrestling scene of the past 30 years and a bunch of other stuff that violated Kayfabe and had to be cut. Also Jiah learns how to put together a wrestling ring and gets chastised for mentioning Nacho Libre.
Catch the next Let's Hang Out event REEL RUMBLE 2 at Mahoning Drive-In Theatre on May 21st and May 22nd. Tickets at MAHONINGDIT.COM
All Let's Hang Out DVD's available from Smart Mark Video.
Only wrestling is real.
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Justin and Jiah welcome stand up comedian Roya Hamadani to dive into the 2005 sci-fi comedy “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy”. Film discussion with Roya (17:36) Hidden Gems and UGCTO (1:14:40)
Justin and Jiah dive deep into the 2007 sci-fi movie “Sunset Earth”.
Amusing Ourselves to Death is a weekly conversation podcast about the entertainment we love. Games, guests, comedians and deep dives.
Follow us on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/amusingourselvestodeath/ Contact/Booking: amusingourselvestodeathpod@gmail.com
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Recorded in the summer of 2020, Justin & Jiah cover the end section of season 1 of HBO’s “Six Feet Under”.
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Recorded in the summer of 2020, Justin & Jiah cover the mid-section of season 1 of HBO’s “Six Feet Under”.
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Recorded in the summer of 2020, Justin & Jiah cover the first three episodes of HBO’s “Six Feet Under”.
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Justin and Jiah welcome improv comedian Evan Stutts to discuss the 2006 dystopian film “Children of Men”. Film discussion (19:31) Games & Segments (71:38)
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Justin and Jiah discuss the 2016 Mike Birbiglia improv comedy film “Don’t Think Twice".
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Justin and Jiah welcome filmmaker/cinema & comedy coordinator Anthony DeSanctis to discuss the 2014 Damien Chazelle percussion film WHIPLASH.
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Justin and Jiah welcome back Aaron and Christy for another installment in our “May to December Romance” film series, this time covering the 1971 Hal Ashby movie “Harold and Maude”.
Justin & Jiah welcome back improv comedian Tami Quartuccio to talk all things television: what we’re watching, our TV habits, to binge or not to binge watch, shows cut down in their prime, which ones we bailed on and more!
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Justin and Jiah welcome John Anthony (editor at Open Road) to discuss the 2000 Christopher Nolan film “Memento”. Plus: Justin’s playing “Breath of the Wild” and Jiah’s about to get into vinyl records.
Justin and Jiah welcome improv comedian Emily Rae to discuss the 2018 Denzel Washington film “The Equalizer 2”.
Justin and Jiah welcome TikTok star/musical theater sensation Kelcie Kosberg Warmkessel to dive into the 1992 SNL film “Wayne’s World”.
Justin and Jiah welcome Lehigh Valley Quizmaster (and commander) Steven Bost to discuss the 2003 Russell Crowe film “Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World”.
Justin and Jiah count down their 20 favorite movies, television, albums and video games from the year 2020! This bit will never die! Thank you all for listening and have a happy New Year!
Podcast! (but like imagine Catherine O’Hara screaming it on an airplane in the 90’s). We welcome back Corey Collins to discuss the Christmas Classic “Home Alone”. We get into McAllister family pizza logistics, battle plans for defending your house, did the Mom sell her soul to John Candy, and personal stories when we too were alone at home. All that and more on the Amusing Ourselves to Death podcast, which we personally wouldn’t let sleep in our rooms if it were growing on our ass!
You’re a mean one, Mr. Grinch…and possibly red-pilled, please log off the message boards. Welcoming back Evan Hipszer (gotta get that Q4 Hipszer bump), Justin and Jiah dive into the Jim Carrey disaster/shoulda-been-horror-flick “How the Grinch Stole Christmas”, dissecting the Seuss Cinematic Universe (SCU), the drunk-on-eggnog cinematography, Xmas movie traditions, and was there a Jesus Who-Christ who died on a Who-Cross? All that and more on Amusing Ourselves to Death, the podcast with the tender sweetness of a seasick crocodile!
Pay strict attention to what I say because I choose my words carefully and I never re-podcast myself. Justin and Jiah are joined by comedian Terrence Haynes to discuss the 2006 bank robbery film “Inside Man”. We discuss hostage etiquette, the Spike Lee dolly shot, fake video games and a variety of holes!
Rockstar Games, the studio behind murder simulators like “Grand Theft Auto” and “Red Dead Redemption”, bravely asked it’s audiences in 2011: “wanna play a cop instead?” Featuring the cast of Mad Men’s C-plot characters, “L.A. Noire” puts you in the gumshoes of LAPD Detective Cole Phelps, a terrible yet also unlikable protagonist tasked with solving crimes, yelling at suspects and following a conspiracy that GOES ALL THE WAY TO THE TOP! Noted for it’s ground-breaking facial recognition technology that let gamers, famous for picking up social cues, see if a character was lying or not. It’s a gorgeous mess and we investigate what keeps bringing us back to the city of virtual angels (who Cole also yells at).
The New World with Kevin Kirner
Returning guest Kevin Kirner is back for the not-happening-Thanksgiving-holiday to talk about Terrence Malick’s gorgeous 2005 epic about native Americans, Pocahontas and low-angle shots of trees at magic hour: “The New World”….and he mostly talks about how to cook eggs.
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Episode Notes Throw a new episode at me if you want, hash head. I've got all five senses and I slept last night, that puts me six up on the lot of you. Justin and Jiah discuss the 2005 neo-noir high school movie BRICK. We’ve got knives in our eyes so we’re going home to podcast!
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Episode Notes Twin Peaks S1 with Addyson Teal
Returning guest Addyson Teal joins Justin and Jiah to unpack the first season of the cult TV show “Twin Peaks”!
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Well, here we are. The Week from Hell. The Tuesday Surgery that’s either gonna remove the tumor or leave us flatlining on the table is imminent, so Justin and Jiah decided to talk about the ever-so-timely MANCHURIAN CANDIDATE franchise. We get into both versions, the Sinatra & the Denzel adaptations. There’s also discourse on the 2020 election, coping devices, the kinds of sourdough we’ll be making in the ashes of AmeriKKKa Extremely Online 2.0. Also, we talk a lot about the dumb apps on our phones! Folks, it’s bad out there. Make a Plan to Vote or Make a Plan to Die.
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Happy Halloween!! Today we thought we’d give you both a trick AND a treat! The treat being a bonus episode and the trick being a movie called Book of Shadows: Blair Witch 2 that contains neither a “Book of Shadows” and barely a “Blair Witch”. Enjoy!
It’s easy to forget but the year 2002 also endured a scary pandemic: the zombie movie genre (but they run now!) The show welcomes Jo Finlay to discuss the Danny Boyle film 28 DAYS LATER.
The year is 1983. Deep in the Shadow Mountains, one wronged man does battle against demons of darkness, LSD Jesus Freaks and red filters on a camera lens. MANDY! Joined by returning guest Evan Williamson and Lynn LaBate (Read Between Podcast) we ask questions about symbolism, ambiguity, what is Nicholas Cage and WGA rules on crediting someone “Fuck Pig”.
A charming tale about small business, masochistic dentists and life finding a way (to eat human beings)…that’s right, we’re going downtown where the hop-heads flop in Skid Row and talking “Little Shop of Horrors”, both the 1960 original and the 1986 musical starring Rick Moranis, Ellen Greene and Steve Martin! Returning guest Daniel Moyer tells incredible stories about puppeteering his own Audrey II in a local stage production and we ask: which ending was better, the one where love conquered all or plant conquered Statue of Liberty? You could huff some laughing gas, but this episode is funny without it!
Boring classes, annoying teachers, learning you’re the prophetic chosen one to murder all the vampires…high school, amiright? Returning guests Addyson Teal & Whitney Pirnik join us to talk 1992’s “Buffy the Vampire Slayer”, the first STAB at the story about a cheerleader (Kristy Swanson) battling boys, blood and Paul Reubens acting choices. We ask Q’s about all kinds of sitches, like why does Donald Sutherland never take off his hat, even when exercising? Vampires, yay or nay? And what’s the deal with that Illuminati basketball coach? All I wanna do is graduate from high school, go to Europe, marry Christian Slater, and listen to this podcast!
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One of the most relatable animated films Disney ever made, “A Goofy Movie” is about the complicated bonds between fathers and sons, which can only be strengthened by an attack from the mythical creature Bigfoot. Joined by Jaimie Olmstead, we explore everything that makes this mid 90’s road trip movie truly “goofy”, like possum-themed amusement parks, Cheese Whiz architecture, dark nights of the soul in a hot tub, how 90’s comedies only worked due to characters lying, and why high school pranks are a gateway to state-sanctioned executions. In the words of pop star Powerline, “Open up your eyes/take a look at me/Get THIS PODCAST fixed in your memory!”
I want to say one word to you. Just one word. Are you listening? PODCASTS. We are joined once again by comedians Christy Devlin and Aaron Alkasov to dive deep into the swimming pool of “The Graduate”, the 1967 Mike Nichols film that put ol’ Dusty Hoffman on the map. Mrs. Robinson, you’re trying to rate, review & subscribe me....!
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Hey, I found the new teacher’s senior annual in the library! Listen to this: captain of the soccer team, editor of the school annual, Cambridge bound, Thigh Man and something called “Amusing Ourselves to Death, Episode Fifty-Six, ‘Dead Poets Society’ with Ally Bruemmer”? Huh. Maybe we should reconvene the A.O.T.D.E.F.S.D.P.S.W.A.B. club? Let’s sneak into a cave and read transcripts of old podcast episodes, let the hot takes & cool chats on this 1989 Robin Williams film drip from our tongues like honey? Somebody bring napkins but NO RAISINS!
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Rabbits. Bunnies. Order of the lagomorphs. The mind goes to big ears, hopping and carrots, but “Watership Down” asks: what if these creatures shared mythology and committed warfare? David Bluvband (The Chris Gethard Show, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) joins our warren to talk about the book, 1978 animated film and 2018 Netflix/BBC miniseries. No hraka, this is a conversation good enough to silflay!
After years of training, punching, kicking, and using chopsticks to eat popcorn, we are ready to seek the power within ourselves, preferably through on-the-nose record needle drops. Joined by our sensei/standup comedian Janear Hankerson, we explore this incredible martial arts film and it’s bizarre plot hinging on something called “music videos”. There’s evil arcade barons, Bruce Lee cameos, back alley hopscotch and a William H. Macy cameo! So direct your feetza to this “The Last Dragon” podcast-izza!
Buckaroo Banzai with Glen Tickle
Somewhere on a hard drive, at the top of a Word doc, etched in ones and zeroes, is a single phrase. One we wrote down at the inception of this very show, a combination of comedy and film and sex appeal so potent that no man-made medium of sound could even hope to contain it:
“Glen Tickle on Buckaroo Banzai”
Please enjoy.
You can find Glen’s standup comedy special “Good Grief” at www.glentickle.com
Yes And Wear a Mask fundraiser: https://www.customink.com/fundraising/yesandwearamask?utm_campaign=desktop-&utm_content=yesandwearamask&utm_medium=social&utm_source=copy-link&fbclid=IwAR3AlSSF8M4inxBy2yoA8pewd_q4xMyll0H5FhG6FTqsE9AeNNlm0KHdrI0
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Three movies. Three similar plots. One…survivor!? We all have fond memories of diving head first into those $5 DVD bargain bins at big box electronic stores, just putting our grubby & sweaty hands over cellophane & plastic, and unearthing glorious cinematic treasures to take home and watch. Sometimes, you’d find movies bundled together based on choices like “franchise” or “actor/actress” or “accidentally fused due to extreme heat in warehouse”. So we decided to take three movies and make our own trilogies, copyright laws be damned! Suck it, @FBI! This is the premiere of a new AOTD series: “Bargain Bin Trilogy”!
SHIRT FUNDRAISER -
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I was thirty three, going on thirty four, the first time I podcasted about the film “Stand By Me”. It happened in the summer of 2020. My co-host Justin and new friend Corey Collins invited me to my own kitchen table to remotely discuss the movie, into a microphone, alone in my apartment. The takes were hot and the seltzer was cold. After the talk petered out and we wrapped up the pod, I clicked the big red button to end the Zoom meeting. We’d only been podcasting for one hour and 27 minutes, but somehow my town seemed different. Smaller. Probably all those deaths, we were, after all, in the midst of a poorly-handled pandemic. Wear a mask and vote, people. As time went on, I saw less and less of Corey and Justin, until eventually they became just two more avatars in my social media feeds that after enough sharing of memes and cat photos, I muted them. That happens sometimes. I heard Corey had a good life, built some tunnels and burned some bridges. Sometime in August, Justin let his guard down and got devoured by a giant spider. He died almost instantly. I never had any podcasting friends later on like the ones I had when I was thirty three. Jesus, does anybody?
Attention! Let it be known to all that this sonic recording, captured with the glorious contraption that is the phonograph, contains a discussion by respectable gentlemen, elucidating the virtues and transgressions of the moving picture “The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station”, now circulating in theatres in the Year of our Lord, Eighteen Hundred and Ninety Six! Please enjoy verily, pardon any blasphemous statements and let it serve as a warning that this new fad of “cinema” will not survive the 19th century! Good Day and God Bless!
Colonel Passino and Professor Peck, in the recording studio, WITH A MICROPHONE! Mr. Lunger assists in solving the mystery of the cult classic film “Clue”. We investigate the multiple endings, theorize on what makes it resonate in our funny bones, research how to adapt a board game and pontificate on the TRUE reality of the characters (are they really just in Hell?). Join us for an episode to be served at 7:30 or whenever is convenient for you, that’s the appeal of podcasts….AND MURDER!
Baby’s 1st Album Episode! Owen Ashworth’s fourth album under CFTPA all adhered to strict rules: short songs, played in the key of C, and recorded on a Casio keyboard. We talk about music, how it works on our brains, and what’s up with all those notes? Like, how many do we really need? C’mon. Enough.
Spoilers ahoy! We unpack the most anticipated video game sequel of 2020. Not saying too much else because I’m afraid of toxic internet trolls hacking me for saying anything positive, negative, staying neutral, or glancing in the general direction of a GameStop. Luckily we were joined by video game connoisseur Alex Clayton on the eviscerating experience that is “The Last of Us Part II”.
Sometimes, a journey’s end has ANOTHER end...which is also kind of the beginning? And sometimes that end wants to be the original journey so bad that it cloyingly pays homage after homage and services the fanbase so hard & desperately like a married couple trying to recapture first love before putting their pants back on, holding back impotent tears, making pretend plans for the future and then googling divorce attorneys in the morning? Anyway, we talk about all three “Hobbit” films.
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This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends This is the way the world ends Not with a bang, but with a podcast… It’s Low-Grade Explosive Day aka 4th of July and we’re firing up the 2006 cinematic mess “Southland Tales”. An alternate history of America in the mid 2000’s, a meal of government/technology/entertainment boiling in a thick Fluid Karma stew of quantum physics, Neo-Marxists and porn stars…or is it all an excuse for a Justin Timberlake music video? All I know is I’m a pimp, and pimps don’t commit suicide…but they probably do listen to this episode!
Pretty Lousy - Loose Ends - prettylousy.bandcamp.com
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Grab your video camera belt and sit your $5 ass down, it’s time to talk “New Jack City”, the Wesley Snipes film about the rise and fall of a Harlem crime syndicate during the 1980’s crack cocaine epidemic. Comedian Kirk Griffiths joins us to explore power, keeping brothers, warehouse shoot-out exit strategies, the importance of wedding caterer background checks and is this really a secret comic book movie? You’ll want to “rock-a-bye-baby” to this episode!
The cellphone operating system. Ever present in our lives, helpful with information and organization, sleek & stylish. What the 2013 Spike Jonze film “Her” starring Joaquin Phoenix presupposes is...”what if ur phone make u have teh feelz”?
Also, Justin breaks up with his AI girlfriend.
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Every journey comes to an end, every saga has a conclusion, every dog has its day, every Kiss Begins With Kay. Hail to the “Return of the King”, the definitely-not-rigged-11-time-Oscar Winner! We wrap up one trilogy, discover who the true protagonist was (spoilers: not the Friends We Made Along the Way), talk multiple endings, big spiders and rank our favorite of the three films.
On the eve of the highly anticipated “The Last of Us Part II” release, we explore what made the 2013 pain simulator, er, I mean video game, work like gangbusters. The incredible Joel & Ellie dynamic? The gameplay of fighting against those irresistible Infected and huggable Hunters? The crafting, yo, could it be the CRAFTING? Oooh, ooh, I know, it’s definitely the primordial pleasure our reptile brains get from moving planks, pallets and ladders around in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of America…..oh yeah baby, that’s the stuff. And beware, much like cordyceps “spores” warn of a gaggle of Clickers and Bloaters, our “spoilers” will lead you directly into the hungry maw of plot revelation, so crouch safely and carry a broken scissor!
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Hey, Zach Lee? Who joined the pod to talk the 2014 gut-busting hilarious deconstruction of romantic comedies starring Amy Poehler and Paul Rudd that was criminally under-seen so here’s your chance, seek it out, we’ll wait, but then listen to this episode and we can all laugh at the genius of The Bar Scene and framing devices and Michael Shannon with a goddamn katana?
Thanks.
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Spoilers for: The Invisible Man (2020), Ad Astra, The Sopranos S3, Bill & Ted Face the Music trailer
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The journey continues! Gollum! Helm’s Deep! Treebeard! A king’s advisor who should’ve been disqualified if Edoras ran background checks or just hearing the name Grima friggin’ Wormtongue! Don’t follow the lights but please follow us & Whitney Pirnik as we cover Act 2 of Lord of the Rings!
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The Adam Sandler film “Uncut Gems” is on Netflix (here be spoilers). Also, a check-in on Justin’s “Sopranos” watch.
Also here’s that link we mentioned in the beginning if you would to get more involved in Black Lives Matter.
https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co
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Today, we take the first steps on a new adventure, a four-part journey covering “The Lord of the Rings” film trilogy (plus “The Hobbit”), joined by Whitney Pirnik! The podcast road goes ever on and on...
Topics discussed: Superman, The Snyder Cut, HBOMAX, Tenet, Stardew Valley, The Talos Principle.
I stepped out of my office to grab a breath of fresh air and a lungful of Lucky Strike, eyeballing another sunset over Quarantine City. Ambulance sirens sung the high notes of sickness sharp and death major. Masks and gloves littered the sidewalk like lost shields dropped on the battlefield. Billions of souls trapped in their homes, trying to find a 90 minute distraction to throw on the idiot box before Lady Slumber gave her reprieve of the day. That’s where I come in. The name’s Jiah Peck and I’m a podcaster. Nothing fancy, one episode a week, no expenses. I heard the rumble of a streetcar take the corner: my partner, Justin Passino. He had a sly look on his face, hanging six feet back to avoid being six feet under, and he began flipping his lucky penny under the hazy streetlamp. “Gotta pick a flick, Peck. Heads, we do a romantic story. Tails, something with guns and murder…an action picture!” He tossed the Abe Lincoln into the stratosphere, but missed the catch. It landed sideways in the street, wedged into a crack of macadam like corn kernel after Sunday barbecue. The fates laughed at our attempt of choice, pure crackerjack. As I stubbed the smoke and blew clouds, a compromise hit me like a ton of bricks: “How about that 2005 film starring Robert Downey Jr, Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan, the directorial debut of Shane Black? You know…’Kiss Kiss Bang Bang’?” Perfect for surviving another crazy night in Q-City, baby.
I know what you're thinking. Kicking and Screaming? The Will Ferrell soccer movie?? Well, no. That's Kicking & Screaming. We're talking about the 1995 film Kicking AND Screaming, the debut feature by Noah Baumbach. Before Marriage Story, Frances Ha, Greenberg and those Wes Anderson movies he was involved with, Baumbach made a movie about a group of young adults faced with the cold reality of post-college life and responsibilities. Starring Josh Hamilton, Parker Posey and Eric Stoltz, this is a cult favorite full of enough gags to distract you from your crushing reality, your school loans and those annoying detergent commercials. I mean, are they going to get that stain out? Who knows?! That's bicycle grease!
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Richie Warmkessel makes his debut on the show to talk about Mike Nichols' The Birdcage starring Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Calista Flockhart and Hank Azaria!
Still in lockdown, Justin, Jiah and returning guest Kevin Kirner (who puts the “punk” in cyberpunk) jump off the roof of the Bradbury building into the 1982 sci-fi classic “Blade Runner”, which explores the tantalizing future of 2019! Rain, flying cars, noodle joints, scaley snakes and those tears in rain, baby! One of us may be a replicant, or is it all a dream? Which version of the movie is the best? How bout that dumb-ass video game? And if you’re walking in the desert & see an overturned tortoise on its shell, baking in the sun, why don’t you tell that tortoise about this crackerjack episode and to rate/review/subscribe!
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Set a waypoint on your map and clean up those remaining side quests, the JP-Crew are exploring open world video games! #reddeadredemption2 #horizonzerodawn #openworldvideogames
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Original member of THE BOYZ Aaron Alkasov returns to the show to discuss Barry Levinson's film DINER starring Mickey Rourke, Daniel Stern, Paul Reiser, Steve Guttenberg, Tim Daly, Ellen Barkin and Kevin Bacon. The BOYZ also recorded this live from their favorite diner spot in the Lehigh Valley. They're not sure how they got there. In fact, none of them remember waking up that morning at all. All of a sudden, they were just sitting there at the diner and the tape was rolling. And there were a lot of other people there too even though there's a global pandemic. Lots of vintage cars in the parking lot. Everyone was dressed up like it was 1959. Very strange. Anyhow, this is a really fun episode about a movie where six white men get to live carefree lives in Baltimore without consequences. Who doesn't want to see that?
The Boyz offer up their thoughts on David Fincher's Zodiac during another rainy weekend in Quarantine.
The mafia. Psychiatry. Italian food. Fart jokes. That’s right, Justin & Jiah are taking an exit off the Jersey turnpike to get into the inaugural season of “The Sopranos”. Tony vs Livia, Christafah, the “College” episode, the iffy depiction of MarioKart 64, we cover it all! New fan Justin and HBO Aficionado Jiah aren’t made guys, so while you can technically whack us, we hope you enjoy our tribute to one of the Greatest Shows of All Time. So wake up this morning and get yourself some FUN!
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Quarantine Shuarantine! Just kidding. The Quarantine is serious. It's a fucking pandemic. SO the boys are doing their first-ever remote episode from the comfort of their own homes! And they're talking about their first documentary, Anvil: The Story of Anvil. A heart-felt and heart-wrenching and head-banging story of the rock group ANVIL who had minor success in the 80's and then faded into obscurity. This is an episode about sticking to your guns. Perseverance and collaboration. Also avoiding deadly viruses and somehow passing the time without losing our minds.
Justin and Jiah brave a global Pandemic and make a sincere attempt to escape the darkness surrounding them by watching Pixar's debut film Toy Story. It works for about 3 minutes and then it all goes to shit. Bazinga!
Self-proclaimed super-fan Kat Aldrich joins the pod for the first time to talk Hitchcock’s “Rear Window”!
What goes together better than a polite bow and a devastating roast? How about a very narrow bridge at sunrise? A gigantic candle and Donald Sutherland? Perhaps a little bit of Pride and a little bit Prejudice?? All of these things are correct! Congrats, you win! And we at the pod win as well because this week the incredibly talented musician, comedian and costume-enthusiast Addyson Teal joins us to talk about the 2005 film adaptation of Jane Austin’s PRIDE & PREJUDICE. Get ready to enjoy a perfectly adequate discussion about giant pig balls, 1800’s roast battles and Mr. Darcy’s hands. I know we did. So go on and force your entire family to leave the room so you can listen to this one in private. Trust me. Foreheads are gonna touch and it’s gonna get STEAMY, BABY!
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Scott, if your podcast had a face, I would punch it. Wait, no, that's not it at all. Scott Pilgrim would never start a podcast! He can barely finish reading an email. But what he CAN do, that Jiah and Justin certainly cannot, is kick a bunch of ass.
Jiah and Justin are flying solo once again to discuss Edgar Wright's Scott Pilgrim vs The World! And they brought RESEARCH! Maybe too much research? Is there such a thing as too much research? I don't know. I don't know what I'm doing. It's Sunday evening and I've got the Sunday Scaries and I'm just trying to get through this description. More like Justin Passino vs The Show Notes. Anyway, this movie rules and we drink seltzer and talk about bands and stuff. We even almost held hands once but then I got too embarrassed.
Gosh, this is a train-wreck. I'll leave you alone forever now.
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HBO’s beautifully-shot TV series “Luck”, about the denizens of a California horse track, was cut short in its prime after mounting tragedies. But it remains a fascinating tale about animals, capitalism, addiction and the most personal story by acclaimed writer David Milch. Come for the Nick Nolte impressions, stay for the legit revelations on what would’ve happened in season 2!
Psst! In the 4th race, place a bet on Sparkling Water....that horse can RUN!
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Two guests for the price of one! Christy and Aaron bring their butts on the pod to answer: is Tom Cruise hawt or nawt? Would that bar singalong trick work at picking up Kelly McGillis? And what’s up with volleyball? Have a Seltzer Day!
A very Tall Man. Jawas from Hell. Hammer Bombs. Giant flies. Dream Logic. Killer Pinballs. Graveyard sex. An Ice Cream Man who is also really great at guitar. No, we're not talking about Justin's Search History! We're talking about the 1979 horror classic Phantasm! The first in a very fun and surprisingly lengthy anthology about a boy and an Ice Cream Man named Reggie battling inter-dimensional beings, some of which resemble certain characters from a certain Maclunkey Saga. And joining us this week to tackle this film is our buddy and fellow comedy writer/radio show host J.J. Ellis! So be sure to grab your hammer and some gunpowder and for christ sakes don't download this episode unless you intend to listen to it! Warning Streams are bullshit! Reggie forever.
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Number One(der) Fan of the Show Evan Hipszer joins the pod to talk about “That Thing You Do!”, the directorial debut of America’s Soothing Presence In Human Form: Tom Motherfuggin’ Hanks.
Baby’s 1st Commentary Episode! Artist/comedian Daniel Moyer joins the pod to gift us his ruby slippers of Oz lore as we watch the 1939 classic musical! We drink seltzer and eat (off mic, relax!) a surprise food that also starts with “S”! And if you play this episode while listening to Pink Floyd, our great jokes may be drowned out so please don’t do that.
Two-time guest of the pod Kevin Kirner has departed...the east coast of America. Also, we discuss 2006’s “The Departed”. Do...do you get it? The departed talking about “The Departed”? (Also we executed a cheese-eating rat fuck on mic) It’s called an allegory or as literary scholars say: “a hat on a hat”! Jesus Christ. See, going to college wasn’t a waste of money. Anyway, we get into the wacky hijinks of the Bahhston Police Department, quote Leo’s “TWO PILLS?!” speech and the worst/hottest therapist in cinema. When I was your age, they said we could drink seltzer or sparkling water. But when you’re facing carbonated H2O with a smidge of flavor...what’s the difference?
First, they went to high-school. Then they went to Hawaii. Then they went to college. And now they're going to Vegas! No, no not Jiah and Justin! We can't afford to go to Hawaii. We're talking about Zach, Kelly, Screech, Slater, and Lisa of the hit 90's series Saved by the Bell! That's right, Zach and Kelly are finally getting hitched and we've asked comedian Tami Cantilina to join us in celebration! This week we're covering the 1994 TV special "Saved by the Bell: Wedding in Las Vegas." Strap in and get ready for some snakes, slot machines, golf-cart accidents, and cultural appropriation!
Welcome to a special BONUS episode of Amusing Ourselves to Death! In this episode, #theboys countdown their Top 19 of 2019 and touch on their aspirations and hopes for 2020. Expect the usual hot takes, mental spiraling and maybe even a discussion about a burrito. Digital Dean for President 2020.
We all wear masks to protect ourselves from pain. A different face we show to the masses. And some wear nun habits or mirror spandex while fighting crime in HBO’s “Watchmen”, the sequel series to the landmark graphic novel. Justin & Jiah are joined by comedian/podcaster Evan Williamson to ask “Quis podcastiet ipsos podcastes?”
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The Boys from Bethlehem talk “Brazil”, one of our favorite X-mas movies about the futility of fighting the system! Give up and consume! Consuuuuuuuuuume!
Happy Seltzerdays! Justin & Jiah
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Let's get something straight, listeners. This is not a weekend excursion. This is a serious investigation of the stability of the podcast. Musicians/comic book artists Christopher & Shannon Stott-Rigsbee join Justin to explore 1993’s “Jurassic Park”. Then, Jiah digs into “Trespasser: Jurassic Park” aka the worst game of 1998 and what he’d personally do with the keys to the JP franchise. Actually, that sounds kind of fun. Maybe this can be a weekend excursion? Let’s hit the beach and drink some Blackberry Tangerine seltzers! Woo hoo!
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Things fall down. People look up. And when it rains, we podcast about the Paul Thomas Anderson ensemble “Magnolia”. Guest star Kevin Kirner joins Justin & Jiah to unpack the movie that everyone asks “isn’t that the really long one with frogs and Tom Cruise playing a human being?”
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Baby’s 1st Video Game Episode! Justin & Jiah dig into the 2019 reality-bending video game “Control” and it’s brutalist architecture, inverted talking pyramids, and a darling scientist who loves 5 1/4’’ floppy disks. It’s basically “You Had To Be There: The Game”. Also: blackberry clementine seltzer is consumed while chatting “Dollface” (Hulu) and the Marvel Unlimited comic book app.
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On this week’s episode we are talking about Joe Dante’s 1989 “Thrillomedy” The Burbs starring Tom Hanks, Bruce Dern and Carrie Fisher.
For our Amusing Aperitif’s, Sopranos Super-Fan Jiah discusses his 7-hour expedition to the first annual Sopranos-Con in Secaucus, NJ . Then, Highly-Anxious Justin discusses his first experiences with the video game StarDew Valley which is a farming simulator that seems to be only expediting his impending existential crisis.
The boys also get super deep this episode. Are video games just pain simulators? Is fandom just a sad grasp for validation? Have we replaced suburban paranoia with suburban inconvenience? Will the cycle of global violence ever be broken? Was the Ally McBeal dancing baby a Meme? Lots of important questions.
Also Passion Fruit and Mandarin Orange Seltzers are consumed because life is about consumption and displaying that consumption for validation. Back 10 seconds, back 10 seconds, back 10 seconds, back 10 seconds, back 10 seconds, oh god please help us, make this stop
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Apple pie, baseball and the 1985 classic movie “Pee-wee’s Big Adventure”: these are the staples of America. Justin, Jiah and Guest Star CHRISTY DEVLIN (Comedian, Improviser, Sketch-Writer) talk about the color red, death theories, and sip the best seltzer this side of the Mississipp’.
Everything is the same, even if it’s different. This podcast episode where we discuss 2004’s “I Heart Huckabees” is one you’re listening to now, but as our energies recycle throughout infinity, maybe once you were the podcasters and we were the listeners. And on this blanket, here’s Jiah talking about the game “Eastshade” and look, over here, it’s Justin discussing “Mandy” and “Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend”. And here’s a Polar Raspberry Lime Seltzer, here’s another Polar Raspberry Lime seltzer, and over here, this is the remains of the Martin Tower, right, it’s Bethlehem!
Nice guys Justin and Jiah talk about a nice movie about not-so-nice guys called “The Nice Guys” aka The Best Ever Usage of The Gos’. Also: Justin’s saluting “Brooklyn 99” while Jiah’s gandering “Untitled Goose Game”.
Seltzer Flavor: Polar Raspberry Lime Tea Flavor: Wegman’s Peppermint Tea
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It’s Spooky Month, so we are bound by the elemental spirits and Big Banana Costume to bring you an episode on 1999’s “The Blair Witch Project”. Also, Justin professes his undying love for “A Nightmare on Elm Street 4: The Dream Master while Jiah screams about the final season of “The Deuce”.
Also featuring a special phone call from Blair Witch fan and Book of Shadows Apologist, Adam Malantonio!
Seltzer Flavor: Wegman’s Brand Mango Lime (you thought we were gonna say pumpkin, didn’t you? Wrong. Pumpkin drinks are unnatural, biologically abborhent death juice. Jesus Christ. Why would you even make me think about pmpkns?)
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Episode Notes Part Two of our deep-dive into "The Leftovers", Season One. I have nothing more to add, see the first episode's show notes. Stop reading this. Stop it.
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Episode Notes Welcome to the first episode of Amusing Ourselves to Death! This is a podcast about the art we love and the content we consume. For our debut, we are tackling Season One of HBO's "The Leftovers". We actually went so long on this one, we split it up into two parts. For those aren't familiar, this show debuted on HBO in June of 2014 and asks the question "If 2% the world's population suddenly vanished, would Justin Theroux continue his daily jogging routine?" Turns out the answer is yes. There's far more to discuss but you'll have to listen to the episode. You didn't think, I'd transcribe it all in the show notes, did you? I don't even know if anyone reads these things.
Other notes:
- CORRECTION: Damon Lindelof is not associated with “Castle Rock”, it’s JJ Abrams. Whoops.
- Flavor of Polar Seltzer consumed during recording: Raspberry Lime
- We meant to release this on the anniversary of The Departure but we fucked up. Sorry.
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