NostalgiaCast

Taking a Look at Childhood Favorite Films to See If They Stand the Test of Time, Or If They're Past Their Prime

Episode 122: THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992) 06/12/2025

Episode 122: THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS (1992) Someday I think you and I are going to have a serious disagreement... but not today! NostalgiaCast continues its '90s Bucket List season with an action-packed look back at THE LAST OF THE MOHICANS, starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Wes Studi, and Madeleine Stowe. Jonny and Darin welcome their dear childhood bff Jenny Young for a discussion of Michael Mann's romantic historical epic, and how its visceral filmmaking, authentic-to-the-period visual style, and embracing of Native American culture either does or does not stand up to scrutiny today. Grab your muskets, knives, and tomahawks and join us! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/36974315

Episode 121: FAR AND AWAY (1992) 06/05/2025

Episode 121: FAR AND AWAY (1992) It's corkers and Blarney Stones as NostalgiaCast takes a transatlantic trip back in time to discuss Ron Howard's FAR AND AWAY, starring Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman. Jonny and Darin kick off their 1992 retrospective by welcoming Ruth and Rae of the Paperback Flicks podcast to chat about the history of Irish immigrants and the American frontier, along with the sweeping panoramic vistas, overblown Oir-ish accents, and megawatt star chemistry that made this period romantic drama a minor classic. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/36870520

Episode 120: BACKDRAFT (1991) 05/20/2025

Episode 120: BACKDRAFT (1991) NostalgiaCast turns up the heat as Paul of The Countdown Podcast joins our latest '90s Bucket List episode for a fiery discussion of BACKDRAFT, starring real-life stuntmen Kurt Russell and William Baldwin, plus Robert De Niro, Donald Sutherland, and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Grab your boots, gloves, and Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus as Paul, Jonny, and Darin obsess over the pyrotechnics, melodramatics, and classic Hans Zimmer score that brand Ron Howard's 1991 firefighter thriller. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/36644555

Episode 119: POINT BREAK (1991) 05/14/2025

Episode 119: POINT BREAK (1991) It's "Vaya con Dios!" and "Utah, get me two!" as NostalgiaCast continues its '90s Bucket List season with a look back at POINT BREAK, directed by Kathryn Bigelow and starring Patrick Swayze, Keanu Reeves, and Gary Busey. Join Jonny and Darin for a zen-filled discussion of all the wave-riding, high-flying, bank-robbing thrills that shape this bona fide cult classic. But is it still 100% pure adrenaline after 30+ years, brah? Or a bummer in between action scenes? /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/36558840

Episode 118: CAPE FEAR / THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) 05/08/2025

Episode 118: CAPE FEAR / THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) Grab your fava beans and your garrote piano wire as NostalgiaCast takes a deep-dive into Martin Scorsese's CAPE FEAR and Jonathan Demme's THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, two killer thrillers from two American masters not typically known for their horror chops. Jason of The Slashers and Binge Movies podcasts joins us to discuss the terror, torture, uncompromising head games, and oppressive existential dread that defines not just these two box office behemoths but also the current state of film criticism today. TRIGGER WARNING: This episode includes frank discussions of violence and sexual abuse as associated with the horror genre. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/36488090

Episode 117: DEAD AGAIN (1991) 05/01/2025

Episode 117: DEAD AGAIN (1991) This... episode... is for YOU! Grab your scissors and your faux American accents as NostalgiaCast continues its "Bucket List" season of '90s favorites with a hypnotic look back at DEAD AGAIN, starring Kenneth Branagh, Emma Thompson, and Robin Williams. Listen as Jonny and Darin recount their history with Branagh as actor, filmmaker, and connoisseur of Shakespeare, and how his attempt at a bombastic Grand Guignol neo-noir murder-mystery with a supernatural bent will either bore you or leave you mute with fear. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/36393245

Episode 116: ARACHNOPHOBIA (1990) 04/17/2025

Episode 116: ARACHNOPHOBIA (1990) Grab your bug spray and your makeshift flamethrowers as NostalgiaCast braves Frank Marshall's ARACHNOPHOBIA for the latest '90s Bucket List episode, starring Jeff Daniels, John Goodman, and the late, great Julian Sands. Listen as Jonny and Darin discuss the movie's creepy-crawly Spielberg-ian touches, its perfect balance of comedy and scares, and lament how modern moviegoers try to "outsmart" the films they watch instead of engaging with the magic of them. Let's rock 'n' roll! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/36202690

Episode 115: LORD OF THE FLIES (1990) 04/03/2025

Episode 115: LORD OF THE FLIES (1990) NostalgiaCast has the conch as Jonny and Darin continue their "Bucket List" season of '90s favorites with a look at LORD OF THE FLIES, directed by Harry Hook and starring child actors Balthazar Getty and James Badge Dale. Buddy and pal Jason Payne joins our hosts to discuss the origins and writing of the book by William Golding, its controversies among literary circles, and how Hook modernized the story by Americanizing the characters, acting styles, and dialogue. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/35986490

Episode 114: GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990) 03/19/2025

Episode 114: GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH (1990) A movie so nice, they made it twice! NostalgiaCast continues its "Bucket List" season of '90s favorites with a big ol' goopy deep dive into Joseph James Dante Jr.'s GREMLINS 2: THE NEW BATCH, perhaps the most subversive studio picture ever unleashed on the film-going public. Avoid bright lights, water, and eating after midnight as Jonny and Darin discuss the arbitrary rules, delightfully disgusting practical FX, and nonstop parade of in-jokes that make up the greatest meta-sequel of all time. Check it out one time, won't you? /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/35783535

Episode 113: TOTAL RECALL (1990) 03/06/2025

Episode 113: TOTAL RECALL (1990) Get your a$$ to Mars as NostalgiaCast returns from a long hiatus to discuss Paul Verhoeven's subversive sci-fi action classic TOTAL RECALL, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sharon Stone. Jonny and Darin kick off a "Bucket List" season of '90s favorites with a look back at the mind-bending plot twists, groundbreaking FX, and questionable acting choices that define Schwarzenegger's first major blockbuster of the decade. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/35553595

Episode 112: THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (w/ Ruth Harris Craddock) 12/23/2024

Episode 112: THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL (w/ Ruth Harris Craddock) Light the lamp, not the rat! Light the lamp, not the rat! For a special Christmas episode of NostalgiaCast, Jonny and Darin are joined by author/artist Ruth Harris Craddock for a spirited discussion of THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL, directed by Brian Henson and starring Kermit The Frog, Miss Piggy, and Sir Michael Caine as arguably the big-screen's definitive Ebenezer Scrooge. They chat about the movie as a faithful adaptation of Dickens's classic story (with Muppets!) and how Caine's decision to play Scrooge as "utterly dramatic" adds to its sincerity and fun. God bless us, every one! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/34574385

Episode 111: BEETLEJUICE (1988) 10/30/2024

Episode 111: BEETLEJUICE (1988) It's showtime! In NostalgiaCast's annual Halloween special, Jonny and Darin visit the afterlife for a spirited discussion of Tim Burton's BEETLEJUICE, starring Michael Keaton, Geena Davis, Alec Baldwin, and Winona Ryder. They talk about the legacy of the film, how it slots in with Burton's other idiosyncratic work, and the elements—production design-wise and problematic character-wise—that either do or do not stand the test of time. Let's turn on the juice and see what shakes loose! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/33679602

Episode 110: ROCKY (1976) 10/03/2024

Episode 110: ROCKY (1976) Yo, Adrian, we did it! NostalgiaCast closes out its '70s season by stepping into the ring with ROCKY, directed by John G. Avildsen and starring Sylvester Stallone, Talia Shire, Carl Weathers, Burgess Meredith, and Burt Young. The gloves are off as Jonny and Darin spar over the movie's aspirational qualities, its acting and filmmaking choices, and how it became the heavyweight champion of underdog sports dramas by encompassing both Stallone's rise to the top and the indomitable human spirit. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/33310077

Episode 109: GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973) 09/19/2024

Episode 109: GODZILLA VS. MEGALON (1973) Punch! Punch! NostalgiaCast '70s Palooza continues with a kaiju-and-fun-filled discussion of GODZILLA VS. MEGALON, the man-in-monster-suit melee that Leonard Maltin famously called "A hoho from Toho." Dan and Angela of the Dissect That Film podcast join Jonny and Darin to gasp and guffaw at all the insane/inane choices and unapologetically repurposed footage that make up this 13th(!) adventure in the Big-G's long-running franchise. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/33119737

Episode 108: DISNEY IN-BETWEEN (with Stephen Anderson) 09/05/2024

Episode 108: DISNEY IN-BETWEEN (with Stephen Anderson) In a special episode of the 'Cast, director/writer/storyboard artist Stephen Anderson returns to discuss his must-own new book DISNEY IN-BETWEEN, a fascinating fly-on-the-wall retrospective of the 20-year stretch at Walt Disney Studios when artists and production heads struggled to find their feet in the wake of Walt's death. Stephen recounts his painstaking research and in-depth interviews with the many luminaries who experienced such a transitional period at Disney firsthand, and gives us a new appreciation of the live-action and animated films that defined it. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/32905977

Episode 107: TAXI DRIVER (1976) 08/08/2024

Episode 107: TAXI DRIVER (1976) You talkin' to me? No, NostalgiaCast is talking to you about Martin Scorsese's TAXI DRIVER, one of the most controversial films of the 1970s and still one of the most divisive films of its esteemed director's career. Listen as Jonny and Darin discuss the subjective camerawork and brutal violence that immerse you in New York City as hell on earth, plus the nuances and performances that continue to fascinate (and repel) audiences today. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/32493097

Episode 106: WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) 07/27/2024

Episode 106: WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (1971) Grab your Gobstoppers and your Scrumdidilyumptious Bars as NostalgiaCast enters the seventh circle of hell with Gene Wilder and WILLY WONKA AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY! Film critic and friend of the show Phoenix Clouden joins Jonny and Darin for a discussion of the teeth-rotting horrors and Monty Python-esque satire that permeates this perennial children's(?) classic. Listen now before Wonka's army of Oompa Loompas sing you off to eternal damnation! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/32314747

Episode 105: MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) 07/12/2024

Episode 105: MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL (1975) It's killer rabbits and k-nig-hts and coconuts as NostalgiaCast journeys back to medieval times for what is arguably the most quotable movie of all time, MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL. Jonny and Darin try to keep their hysterics in check as they recount their favorite lines and sketches from the film, as well as the history of Monty Python and how Chapman-Cleese-Gilliam-Idle-Jones-Palin & Co.'s subversive meta-commentary comedy lives in the SOUTH PARKs, RICK & MORTYs, and DEADPOOLs of today. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/32108627

Episode 104: DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975) 06/28/2024

Episode 104: DOG DAY AFTERNOON (1975) Shout "Attica! Attica!" as the latest episode of NostalgiaCast '70s Palooza is taken captive by DOG DAY AFTERNOON, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring Al Pacino and John Cazale. Film critic Tom O'Keefe of the Reel Spoilers podcast joins Jonny and Darin to discuss the claustrophobic direction, progressive(?) storytelling, and magical eye acting of this classic crime drama. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/31925262

Episode 103: DIRTY HARRY (1971) 06/13/2024

Episode 103: DIRTY HARRY (1971) We know what you're thinking: Hasn't NostalgiaCast covered a Clint Eastwood movie before? Well, to tell you the truth, in all this excitement, we've kinda lost track ourselves. But there's still plenty of icons and iconography to cover, and this episode takes aim at DIRTY HARRY, Don Siegel's crime thriller classic that catapulted Eastwood from Western star to action star status. Jonny and Darin discuss the cinematography, questionable morality, and all-around controversy that drove both left-leaning AND right-leaning audiences into an absolute tizzy. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/31727922

Episode 102: SUPERMAN (1978) 06/02/2024

Episode 102: SUPERMAN (1978) You'll believe podcasters can podcast as NostalgiaCast takes flight with SUPERMAN, Richard Donner's 1978 super-hit starring Christopher Reeve, Gene Hackman, and Marlon Brando. Jonny and Darin are joined by Chris Scalzo of The First Run and ScreenRun podcasts for a discussion of the story structure, special effects, music score, and sincerity that not only defined so much of their childhoods, but also every single comic book blockbuster that followed in its wake. Up, up and away! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/31564812

Episode 101: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) 05/16/2024

Episode 101: A CLOCKWORK ORANGE (1971) Welcome, all you baddiwad malchicks and ptitsas! Grab a glass of Moloko Plus and get ready for a bit of the old ultra-violence as NostalgiaCast shares a few choice slovos about Stanley Kubrick's dystopian crime classic, A CLOCKWORK ORANGE, based on the novel by Anthony Brugess. Jonny and Darin tackle the controversies surrounding the film, whether its themes of morality and free will are justified by its subject matter, and how its nasty, nihilistic imagery played an integral part in our movie-watching habits. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/31332667

Episode 100: STAR WARS Original Trilogy 04/22/2024

Episode 100: STAR WARS Original Trilogy Celebrate 8 years and 100 episodes of NostalgiaCast as Jonny and Darin journey (at last!) to a galaxy far, far away for a discussion of George Lucas's o.g. STAR WARS Trilogy. Author R.J. Craddock sits in the gunner's seat for a lively chat about the movies' impact on countless filmmakers and film nerds, and how the 1997 Special Editions either did or didn't futz with our nostalgia for the original films. Also a special thanks to all our esteemed guests and listeners. We're so grateful that you've stuck with us, and look forward to many fun conversations in the future! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/30928503

Episode 99: GREASE (1978) 04/04/2024

Episode 99: GREASE (1978) GREASE is the word (is the word that you heard) as NostalgiaCast returns to Rydell High for a boppier, bouncier-than-expected discussion of what is arguably the quintessential '70s musical, directed by Randal Kleiser and starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John. Jonny and Darin chat about the energetic performances, irresistible songs, and R-rated innuendos, lyrics, and visual gags that have been inadverdently enjoyed by families for almost half a century. With relish! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/30676098

Episode 98: THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977) 03/21/2024

Episode 98: THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977) It took 98 episodes and double-oh-seven-and-a-half years for Jonny and Darin to talk about a James Bond film, but NostalgiaCast finally tackles everyone's favorite tuxedo-wearing, license-to-kill-bearing sex pest with THE SPY WHO LOVED ME, starring 007 as Roger Moore. Popcorn Digest co-hosts Gareth Green and Andrew Raphael lend their Bond expertise to an in-depth discussion of Moore's best(?) outing as the character, as well as their histories with / fondness for the franchise as a whole. (PLEASE NOTE: Darin's audio file was corrupted during the recording and was salvaged as best as possible. So in the interest of preserving the conversation, the episode is presented as is. We apologize for any inconvenience to your eardrums.) /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/30473613

Episode 97: APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) 03/06/2024

Episode 97: APOCALYPSE NOW (1979) I love the smell of napalm in the morning! Journey up the Nùng River with Jonny and Darin as they take a psychedelic look back at Francis Ford Coppola's 1979 epic APOCALYPSE NOW, starring Martin Sheen, Robert Duvall, and Marlon Brando. But is this the Vietnam War movie to end all Vietnam War movies, 45 years after the fact? Or is the controversy about its making more interesting than the movie itself? Also, is Brando really the iconic actor everyone claims he is? /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/30251538

Episode 96: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) 02/22/2024

Episode 96: CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND (1977) Look to the skies as NostalgiaCast attempts to make contact with Steven Spielberg's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND. Paperback Flicks hosts R.J. Craddock and Rae Davidson join Jonny and Darin for an out-of-this-world discussion of the groundbreaking FX, overly overlapping dialogue, and sense of awe and wonder that permeates Spielberg's 1977 magnum opus, plus how it compares to the rat-a-tat sci-fi extravaganzas of today. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/30061703

Episode 95: THE BLACK STALLION (1979) 02/05/2024

Episode 95: THE BLACK STALLION (1979) Scoot and boot! Childhood friend Jason Payne makes his fourth token appearance on NostalgiaCast for a discussion of Carroll Ballard's 1979 children's classic THE BLACK STALLION, starring Kelly Reno, Teri Garr, Mickey Rooney, and Hoyt Axton (or, as Jonny calls him, "the guy from GREMLINS"). Listen as Jason, Jonny, and Darin speak in awed reverence about the film's breathtaking cinematography, enveloping sound mix, and its uncanny ability to "speak" to kids and adults alike. Take the reins and join us! /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/29798843

Episode 94: F FOR FAKE (1973) 01/22/2024

Episode 94: F FOR FAKE (1973) For the latest episode of NostalgiaCast '70s Palooza, Jonny and Darin tackle the faux-documentary / biography / proto-YouTube video essay that is Orson Welles's F FOR FAKE. They talk about the movie as an examination of authorship over art, Welles's (brazen but ultimately unsuccessful) attempts to explode the documentary form, and how a story of charlatans, magicians, and frauds slots into the legendary director's manic career. /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/29588103

Episode 93: AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973) 01/08/2024

Episode 93: AMERICAN GRAFFITI (1973) NostalgiaCast '70s Palooza heads back to the '60s for a discussion of AMERICAN GRAFFITI, from indie director George Lucas. Crank up your radios and bop along to the beat as Jonny and Darin chat about the nonstop parade of music and muscle cars that permeate this rock 'n' roll coming-of-age tale. But is it a fun and breezy time at the movies, or the same stilted slog as Lucas's later films? /episode/index/show/nostalgiacast/id/29382598

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