Author: Podcast Rob

Hey All, Podcast Rob here…

Allow me a moment to shake my fist at the sky…

Was coming home from work the other day, and decided to hop in one of my local drive-thrus to grab something to eat for dinner.  Amazingly, there was no line, nor was there anyone behind me.

My order wasn’t anything overly large, nor was it custom or special.  Regular order, right off the menu, not even a combo meal.

I pull up to the window where I wait for a few because the cashier is texting on their phone.  They open the window, take my money, and then say “Pull in to spot #3”

“umm… why?”

“We’re going to bring your food out to you so we can clear the window”

“There’s… literally no one behind me…”

“Oh I know, but it resets our timer”

My brain, understanding….

“Ohhh.. so, it shows your boss and your company that you’re doing a good job”

They nod, “basically”

Me, smiling… “then you should do a good job.  I’m good here thanks”

I then notice them glare, walk over to where there is a bag of food at.. Ill call it their ‘pick up table’ that has been SITTING THERE SINCE I PULLED UP TO THE WINDOW.. they grab it, walk back over, and shove the bag out the window at me.

Look, I get it, I hate being micromanaged too… but holy FUCK is this a peeve of mine, and it happens everywhere, and honestly, it annoys the hell out of me.

I understand people want to game a system they don’t believe is ‘fair’.  Hell, I used to work retail where we had to call customers who gave us their information regarding a special order product we carried.  We kept them in a lead book.  We had to make 80 calls a week.  Our book never had more than 18 names.  Management’s solution?  Call the customer, let it ring half a ring then immediately hang up and note “no answer”, and do that 3-4 days a week to the same customers just so we could fill out our log book.  No mention to the higher-ups about how 80 was unreasonable.  None of our stores had anywhere CLOSE to 80 leads a week, at any time.  Ever.  So yeah, I can see how, with deaf ears from above, you have to do what you can.

However….

There is one drive-thru place near where I live..   doesn’t matter if there’s no line, or a 10 car line… how small or big your order is…  you pull up to the window, they’re handing you your food.  It would be different if “it’s impossible for places to get orders to the window in 4 minutes!” were true.. but it’s not… so, while you’re gaming the system to your boss, you look like a shitass to everyone else…

Just me?  Hit us in the socials and let us know!

-PCR

My Dad took me to my first concert, Willie Nelson and Waylon Jennings.  Being a man who was in to Willie, Waylon, Hank Jr, Glen Campbell… my Dad’s music tastes shaped my early music tastes.

Recently, on a drive home from work, I suddenly had an urge to hear “Pancho and Lefty” by the aforementioned Willie and Waylon.  That got me to thinking about the Country music I used to listen to growing up, so grab your Stetson, pull up your boots and check out these old-school Country tunes…

Whiskey River – A cover of an earlier song, Willie first released this on his album “Shotgun Willie” in 1973.  Bouncing back and forth between Southern Rock and a Texas Two-Step vibe, it’s a catchy song that has become Willie’s signature song.

Dixieland Delight – Released by ‘Alabama’ on their 1983 album “The Closer You Get”.  In 2019, Rolling Stone put it as #7 in the Top 25 “Songs about the South”, and it has been an on-and-off ‘pre 4th Quarter’ song tradition of the Crimson Tide.

Devil Went Down to Georgia – This song by Charlie Daniels Band has more than just a passing history with me.  If you know, you know.  If you don’t, then you weren’t there and wouldn’t understand.

She Got the Goldmine (I Got the Shaft) – The stereotypical “country song” about a guy who’s wife leaves him and takes everything, it’s cleverly done by Jerry Reed and his storytelling style.

Convoy – This song by C.W. McCall is more of a silly guilty pleasure (as is the movie).  It’s made even ‘better’ by the fact that there’s like 3 different versions of it.

What say you Somethings?  Hit us up on our socials and let us know!

-PCR

Hey all, PCR here.

For a while now, people have been talking about, or discussing Superhero Movie Burnout.  This likely more pertains to the MCU as they have the bulk of Superhero Movies out and.. I think there’s something to it and there’s blame to lay.. but.. just like the Y in Madisynn.. it’s not where you think.

When the MCU first started, there was nothing else like it.  It was new… fresh…  one couldn’t really compare it to anything because.. well, there was nothing like it to compare to.  10 years later, with the culmination of the Infinity Saga in Endgame.. MCU 1.0 came to an end in my opinion.  The issue now is a lack of evolution.  Folks loved RDJ as Iron Man, Hemsworth as Thor, Boseman as Black Panther, Johansson as Black Widow, Evans as Cap.. etc, etc.  Now however, the next ‘phase’ of the MCU will need to lean on new people.  Doctor Strange is solid and in good hands with Bibblebop Thundergun, but Marvel seems intent on forging forward in a similar fashion as the first 10 years and.. the question is… will audiences be into Ironheart replacing Iron Man?  Shuri as Black Panther?  Sam as Cap?  It’s a huge ask and, while it’s done in comics on a semi regular basis… comics don’t pull in *nearly* the money for a brand that movies do.  Might it be time to change the MCU formula?

I don’t know what the right answer is, but what I DO know, as someone who saw 95% of the run up to Endgame in theaters…  I just have no urge to see a Cap movie with Sam (you can listen to our “Bottom 5 : Actors” episode if you haven’t to hear why), nor do I care to watch a movie with Kate as Hawkeye, or Ironheart and on and on.  It was the original actors who created the interest, and the casting was impeccable.  These actors?  While I might power through a 4-6 episode series on a streaming service from the comfort of my own home.. they sure don’t have the pull to put my ass in a movie theater seat.

So I think Marvel in general has some considering to do, and I honestly think they’ll come to realize that when the next Captain America movie comes out.

What are your thoughts?  Hit us on the socials and let us know!

-PCR

Hey all, PCR here!

Now, Hatton’s dislike of short-form videos is fairly well known, but I myself have fallen down many a rabbit hole on Facebook or Instagram watching vid after vid.  Now, not all of them are gold of course.. for every “Kiss or Slap”, “Watch till the end”  and dying expensive sneakers in shaving cream video.. there are some real gems.  Here’s some of my favorite ones.

Hack Reacts – Hack Reacts is from The Bearded Bard who you can find on YouTube, TikTok and elsewhere.  It’s a split screen vid of him reacting to people showing off ‘hacks’ for various tools and hardware.  It’s great to me because invariably someone uses 13 odd steps to solve a 3 step problem and the exasperation in his voice is palpable.

ChefReactions – Specifically, his Amaury Guichon videos.  If you don’t know who Amaury Guichon is.. please go look him up.  The man has godlike skills when it comes to working with chocolate and pastries.  The ChefReacts video that nearly broke me was him watching Amaury make something and he goes “Oh.. starting off the video by working chocolate on a lathe so.. that makes me a piece of shit I guess”.

Casey Van Arsdale – He makes a lot of videos of various things.. creating.. cooking.. art.. but it’s his ‘spraypaint art planets’ that I will watch for hours.  His descriptions of what he’s doing.. from using his ‘sha sha bowls’ to ‘pooping out stars’ just makes watching his videos that much more awe inspiring.

Basketball Flash Mob – I really don’t know what else to call this.  The page is Tuvok12 on YouTube, but, it’s basically a bunch of guys with a backyard basketball set up on wheels who run into crowded public areas, lob a basketball at people passing by and the video rates their shot attempts.  Some people brush it off and ignore them.. some people give it their all.  It’s never belligerent or insulting to those who try, but when they sink one, it’s like a buzzer beater in game 7 of the championships.

What about you?  What short-form videos do YOU find yourself binging?  Hit us in the usual places and let us know!

-PCR

Audio Blog

Hey all, PCR here.

So.. there interwebs are starting to bustle with an interview director Taika Waititi gave regarding what he’d do for Thor 5.  Let’s be clear, Thor 5 isn’t green lit, and after Love and Thunder, likely (hopefully) *won’t* be green lit, and if it does, I hope to the MCU gods that Waititi isn’t attached.

For those that didn’t listen to our Love and Thunder episode (with guest Erik Hall, you can listen here), I.. was not a fan.  Ragnarok was fun and different from the first two Thor movies, but.. I dislike when movie makers are like “Yes.. but THIS one needs to go to ELEVEN…” Sometimes, you catch lightning in a bottle, and you need to go in a different direction.  Granted, that’s what Ragnarok did, but.. Love and Thunder was.. just a mess, and I personally would cringe at knowing the guy responsible for that mess was back at the helm yet again.

He certainly has a “style”, but so does Tim Burton and Zack Snyder.  Sometimes the movies work because of the style, sometimes they work in spite of… Waititi’s ‘style’ works for some movies, not for others, and it’s disappointing when Hollywood latches onto someone they make as their current “go-to person” based on some early successes and put them on projects that do not at all mesh with that style.  Case and point… Ragnarok was fun and different, and while Thor can certainly have some comedic moments, he’s not a comedy character, and.. in my lowly opinion at least.. shouldn’t be used as such.

For me, if a Thor 5 WAS to happen, I would want it to be more serious, more gravitas.  Sure, comedy can be a part of it, but only to offset the drama and seriousness I think needs to be part of the character.

That’s my take, what’s yours?  Hit us on the socials and let us know!

-PCR

Audio Blog

Hellooooooo Somethings!

So.. look.  When you’ve been doing a “thing” for 10 years, and you’re as fidgety creative as your co-host is.. every now and then you want to take what you’re making, throw it in a box, shake the shit out of it, dump it out, and see how if lays out now.

To that end, starting in October, we’re going to have a new lineup of shows!

Our first episode of the month is always going to be our ‘podcast’ episode, so that won’t change.

Week 2 will be “In The Beginning”, moved up from the end of the month closer to… well.. you get the idea.  We’ll be talking pilot episodes and it gives us the opportunity to discuss shows that are still ongoing.

In week 3, Elevator Pitch is getting it’s own show.  This is going to allow us to have a guest on once a month, and also allow Hatton and I to flex our creative muscles into more ideas.

Week 4 brings us another new show, One Star Movies.  We find the idea of doing movie reviews of terrible movies hilarious, so we’re looking forward to digging into some real bad ones here.

Now, you may be asking “What about ‘Something In Review’?  What happened to ‘The Wheel’?”  Well, fear not Somethings.  In the past those months that had 5 Tuesdays had a ‘Free For All’ episode at the end, well, we’re renaming that show “The 5th Wheel”, and we’ll be using our Swedish-Made-Totally-Something-That-Exists Wheel for those episodes.

Hatton and I are looking forward to testing the new lineup, and we hope you enjoy it too!  Hit us up on the socials and let us know your thoughts!

-PCR

Audio Blog

Hey all, PCR here

Now, it’s been said (hell, I’ve said it myself) that, I’m not a “horror guy”.  I don’t get into horror the way others do, I don’t seem to understand the hype some horror movies get.. they just aren’t really my bag.

That’s not to say I don’t try to watch them.

Over the past week, I checked out a few, and here are my thoughts on them…

Insidious

This was “eh” to me, the ‘non-horror-movie-guy’.  It felt kind of stilted, and.. compared to other movies on this list involving children, it felt the tamest in regards to the scares involving kids.  Sure, the creature had some good jump scare moments, and Specs and Tucker were great for their interaction, the whole movie just felt… lacking and like they made it up as they went.

Sinister

Ok, when it comes to using kids in horror movies, it can either feel terrifying, or like a Happy Meal movie.  Sinister was very much the former.  The scary in it was how disturbing the content was.  Very little back story, a nice cameo from Vincent D’Onofrio…  my biggest gripe really was there was zero explanation for anything.  Maybe they came in later films, but that was my biggest complaint regarding this one.  Probably tied for ‘best one I saw this week”

The Conjuring and The Conjuring : The Devil Made Me Do It

The second installment wasn’t available on my streaming service, so I skipped 2 and went to “Devil…”.  In my opinion, the first one was MUCH better.  Better effects, better scares… I think the horror I can lean in to is the horror that doesn’t feel so fantastical… no traveling to different realms, no giant portals with winged beasties flooding through.. shit that feels like it’s much more practical.  There were some legit scenes in the first one that had me pausing and siting up going “what the fuck…”, Devil Made me Do It.. not so much.  The Conjuring tied with Sinister for ‘best watched this week’

The Nun

I know this is a spin off of The Conjuring ‘universe’, I also know this one was bad.  The story felt forced, and full of “Why the fuck would you do that?” moments that I HATE in horror movies.  Nothing seemed surprising and most of the movie felt telegraphed to me.  Easily the bottom of my list.

What about you Somethings?  What are your thoughts on MY thoughts?  Hit us up on our socials and let us know!

– PCR

Audio Blog

Hey Somethings, PCR here.

So, I recently ended up watching “The Meg” and, I went into it wanting to like it more than I did.  Afterwards, I was left sitting there thinking about many of the shark movies I’ve seen, and, with Shark Week approaching, I decided to touch on 3 of them specifically.  Let’s start with the one I already mentioned..

The Meg

The concept of “how” was actually pretty original… there’s a section of ocean BELOW the deepest section of the Mariana Trench, separated by super, super cold water.  They find things down there that have never been discovered, and inadvertently bring something back up through it.  The movie does give you some twists, but honestly, they’re not anything we haven’t seen from other shark movies.. just… bigger.  The CGI wasn’t the worst I’ve seen, but, the story hinged on the fact that the shark was the size of a skyscraper.  Once that sinks in, you’re really just in it to hear Jason Statham say “megalodon” over and over.

Jaws

This is pretty much where it all started, and, the most realistic of the 3 I’ll talk about.   Great White Shark wreaks havoc on an idyllic town’s beach.  Sure the shark is ‘big’, but still within the realm of realism.  It’s also filmed in a ‘realistic’ way.. like.. all that shit could happen.. which made it’s impact that much stronger.  Sure, other shark movies have taken concepts and paid homage to Spielberg’s classic, and it’s well earned.

Deep Blue Sea

This movie is kind of a guilt pleasure of mine.  It has one scene of the worst CGI scenes I’ve seen in a shark movie, but the cast is amazing.  Sam Jackson, LL Cool J, Thomas Jane, Saffron Burrows, Michael Rapaport… how can it NOT be fun?  Are there silly parts in it?  Absolutely.  Is it still a fun movie with an original twist?  To me.. yes.  Most other shark movies lean into the shark being ‘huge’, or ‘evil’.  This one made them smarter, and that made all the difference.

How about you Somethings?  What are some of YOUR favorite shark movies?  Sound off in our socials and let us know

-PCR

Hey there Somethings, Podcast Rob here!

So.. there’s this disturbing trend happening lately on streaming services, and I think it’s time we talk about it.

Recently, shows like “Grease : Rise of the Pink Ladies” , “Star Trek : Prodigy” and “The Quest” have not only been cancelled, but the decision has been made to completely remove those shows from their respective streaming platforms.

The claim (by studios/platforms) is tax write offs, but, let’s look at the larger underlying issues involved, for there are other, deeper (un)intended consequences involved in my opinion…

Sure, business is business, and the almighty dollar speaks loudly.  Yes, I get that it costs companies money to take up their server space with shows no longer being made.  But, in the current climate with the Writer’s strike, it feels more telling as to a big reason services are purging things from their platforms….residuals.

Now, is it intentional by the platform providers to screw over the writers/actors/directors and anyone else who gets (or would get) paid from having a show stream? Or is it an ‘unintended consequence’ of the provider getting a tax write off that?  The way the providers are trying to play hardball, I can’t see this an anything other than (another) slap in the face to those who make the content.  And, unfortunately (for everyone else.. not those at the top…) cutting content/inventory/personnel (looking at you TCM) to ‘save money due to slumping sales/profits’ is a self-fulfilling prophecy, because now.. people will look elsewhere for that content (if it gets picked up by another provider) or.. determine (like I did with Netflix), that ‘enough is enough’ and just drop the service completely.

Now, maybe it’s a part of the ‘entitlement culture’ that we as consumers believe that just since we’re paying for a streaming service, that all shows and movies etc. should be available till the end of time, but to be fair, the services themselves set that expectation in the early days of the Cable Wars when they were encouraging folks to cut the cord and watch everything ‘on demand’, so.. should they really be shocked when subscribers jump ship and follow the content, or just jump ship in general?

What are your thoughts?  Hit our socials and let us know what you think, and get ready for a month-long celebration of our 10 year podiversary in July!

– PCR

Hey Somethings, PCR here (again!)

Hatton is still unwinding from his time away and coming to terms with the fact that “The Last Day Of Your Vacation Is Literally Hell On Earth”, so this week’s blog is once again from me, myself and I (those of you old enough… you’re welcome for the earworm).

With next year being our Month-Long Podiversary, I wanted to tease some changes we’re going to be rolling out!

Let’s start at the beginning!

The first episode of any given month has been, and will continue to be, our “Podcast Episode” as we call it behind the scenes (catchy name, right!?).  This is our episode where we get to primarily do things like our “List” shows and such.  It’s what we started out doing, and while we’ve seen other format shows come and go, this one will stay pretty much the same.

Second and Third weeks are pretty interchangeable depending on our recording schedule, but typically, second episode of the month has been our “Something In Review” and will remain so.  We’ve never been a “cutting edge info” podcast, so expect to see some more ‘classic’ type movies mixed in.

Third week is “The Wheel”, a favorite of ours and a chance to flex things and get crazy.  We’ll be adding some different topics to the wheel, so don’t be surprised to hear some former shows make a return, and some current show types get added!

Last week of the month was typically our slot for “The End” where we’d just discuss the final episode of a TV show.  We’ll be adding that to “The Wheel” and, going forward, pulling a 180 and trying out a new show called “In The Beginning” where.. you guessed it, we’ll be only discussing show pilots.  We’re excited for it, and we’ll see how it rolls!

Months with a 5th week will continue to be our ‘Free For All’ shows as they have been in the past.

Looking forward to kicking off our 10 Year Podiversary!  See you there!

– PCR