Everything is Gay (Even the Straight Stuff)

The best way to approach talking about the new phenomenon of the Wicked musical film adaptation is to look at it comparatively to the other parts of the Wizard of Oz universe. Though John and Magnus just skim the surface on the whys and hows, this satisfying conclusion to season three of EiG is much like Wicked Part 1 - eagerly awaiting what happens next.

Sailor Moon is a ubiquitous series in nearly every country. It's impossible to cover in one episode, but with a topic like found family - there's no better beautiful fantasy epic to talk about. Not only is it coded in more ways than one, it begs the question - who actually is Usagi's best match? Is it Prince Endymion? Haruka? Seiya? Or is Usagi's best match actually her Inner Senshi?

Tune in and consider such things for yourself!

Sometimes it's not just about being scared. It's about the awe that transforms into fear. It's about a place that seems like one thing and almost overnight transforms into another. It's about the terror, the warnings, and the smartest velociraptors you'll ever know.

Still one of the most technologically marvelous blockbusters ever made, Jurassic Park is a gold standard of what a summer film is. And not just in the 90s. Magnus and John weigh in on why it was and continues to be captivating and about what it says about Michael Crichton's overall body of work.

If you're looking for something different to enjoy tonight, John has a few episode suggestions from one of his favorite anthology works. Twilight Zone is near and dear to his heart and this episodes will give you some expected and wonderfully unexpected spookies as well.

Enjoy!

October is a fitting time to revisit the chills that formed us. And for John, he eagerly volunteers a favorite Ray Bradbury story turned film. Perhaps the most sinister of the Disney/Touchstone imprint, Something Wicked This Way Comes is a 1983 nightmare dream.

Trigger warnings include impossible spiders, blindness, and a carousel you'll love. To death. Watch out for the palm tattoos and the circus sideshow as well. You never quite know who might be parading down your small town main street with them.

There are some audio issues with this episode, but the love and appreciation for Tim Curry and his voluminous codex of work shines through. Can you guess which major role we didn't get to in time? Perhaps there's more of Tim Curry to come in the future and neither John or Magnus would be sad about that.

Please note, some audio issues are found in this episode.

While preparing for gay Christmas (aka Halloween), John and Magnus become intrigued with the devil in the details. In the case of the Devil himself in South Park, well- he's not as bad a guy as some would believe. And his torch song is one for the ages.

South Park is an interesting animated feature and overall brand. For some, it's heresy and for others its about a time in their life. But what is true is that South Park is always at its best when it's being truly fearless. And fearless was what this movie was.

Batman Begins almost defies everything Batman had been on film. Based on a different part of the Batman lineage than any Bat Blockbuster before, it was supposedly a repudiation and a fresh start.

And it is a great movie. Not just a great Batman movie but a movie that changed the landscape of the neo blockbuster. Is it perfect? Is John bothered by the Bat Tumbler? Perhaps. But that's all for you to listen into and judge for yourself.

It might be the only Batman film that has its own apology tour. One of the most requested episodes John and Magnus have ever done, they break down what went right, what went wrong, and what went very gay for Batman and Robin.

As we told Lady Freeze before we pulled her plug - "This movie isn't nearly as bad as you remember and the critics kept saying it was. Though the toy making influence is heavier than it needs to be."

Is Batman 89 the perfect Batman film? Might it even be the perfect superhero film? Perfection is in the eye of the beholder, of course, and while beloved - this film is certainly not without controversy.

But what Batman 89 gives to the world is a tie from the past of Batman's noir lore that will give Batman and other heroes the permission to be more than the sum of their comics parts even into the current age.

And with Burton at the helm to work his magic, even Vicki Vale manages to survive in a world that hasn't always been kind to her. Batman 89. A Short for your pleasure.

Holy camp, Batman! Dare we say in this chaotic, ostentatious version of Gotham City - is this the straightest Batman yet? And what is this in response to? Why is this Batman so different from any other film version?

And is 35 minutes enough to truly understand how we got to this version of Gotham? Both John and Magnus say yes. Start the road trip, it's time for Summer Shorts.

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?

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

This episode goes places. Like, scary places. That's what raatmas when Raatma raatmas.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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?

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!

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!

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.

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.

If you thought John and Magnus were done with Fran Drescher after a Summer Short about The Nanny, you were sorely mistaken. The Queen of Flushing and of self actualized but still incredibly femme queens everywhere also had a rom com film work called Beautician and the Beast. And though it sounds like Beauty and the Beast, its more a fun homage to moonlighting type romances ala The King and I.

Tune in as John and Magnus discuss why self actualized women make movie reviewers uncomfortable, how being true to yourself can inspire those around you, and why just because a film is a cotton candy genre piece - it can still be meaningful and have an audience that loves it dearly.

Also, Joy Miller is just a fun name to say with an Eastern European accent.

While you're on vacation (at least in your mind) and looking for some lighter summer fare - consider this new entry from John and Magnus. Shorter episodes for summer to be shared about the beautiful and often lighter side of pop culture.

They begin with an episode about love and growth and family. From 1993, the Nanny brought Fran Drescher into our homes and made everything just "Fine". From the theme song to the grand staircase to a show about love and family and everything inbetween with great callbacks to sitcoms of years gone by - it's no wonder that not only can you still find The Nanny in syndication and streaming but quite a few countries became inspired and made a The Nanny to call their own.

Truly, to go from a bridal shop to Broadway isn't just a thing to celebrate but it's a great way to bring hope and joy to the world. Go ahead and sing the theme song as you open the episode. We know you want to.

It is fitting that it takes a trilogy to talk about all the men of Marvel, both the villain and the hero. Leaving off on the rise of Holland Spiderman, there's tons more for Magnus and John to explore.

Ideas such as why Ragnarok succeeded and how bringing Loki back into the MCU fold was a win (but also a distraction), how the queerbaiting hit its highest arc in arguably the worst MCU films (both of the Avengers war movies), and how -when Marvel wants to-

They produce art like Black Panther and Venom and what both those properties mean individually for the MCU franchise. Not to mention the wasted potential of diverse and very X-men like New Mutants (which John is imploring you to see).

For all of it's good and bad, there's no way to argue that Marvel and its beefcakes haven't left an impression on us all. And where it goes from here? Well, more streaming than big budget movies it seems but those are still around for those who love such things.

John and Magnus hope you loved this trilogy and everything discussed therein because it was a lot of fun for them!

When people think of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they often think of Phase One and beyond. And now with Tobey!Spiderman, the origin of Robert Downey Jr's Tony Stark, a successful Fantastic Four film, and several other indie hits in the past - Magnus and John discuss the leading men of the Marvel Movies Studio Golden Era, as the movies came fast and the phases weren't quite yet blink and you'll miss it.

Such like the way MGM in the 1940s produced their stars, John and Magnus discuss things like - missed opportunities with Garfield's Amazing Spiderman, Steve and Bucky, the continued descent into realism that handicaps what a superhero movie has the potential to be and move swiftly into the introduction of the heir to the new Marvel throne with Tom Holland.

There's also a bit of a Pratt diatribe that John has kept bottled up but that's taken care of relatively succinctly. The only thing that keeps this episode from being three hours long is the mutual agreement that the young X-men series and Deadpool will be talked about elsewhere. Because there's just too much content to get through it all otherwise.

And anyways, why talk about the hunks of the Marvel movies universe and not make it a trilogy? More on Holland!Spiderman, the leading hunk of Venom, and the introduction of some much needed diversity into the Marvel leading men universe as the trilogy comes to its probably none too startling conclusion.

We're wishing Magnus the happiest of birthday months in a way only we here at Everything is Gay (Even the Straight Stuff) can. With a quickfire retrospective of the hunks of the MCU (in at least two parts, we found out while recording episode 1).

In this episode, we start in 1986 with the first official MCU movie (Howard the Duck) and quickly discover the first hunk is Stephen Dorrf's Deacon Frost in Blade (at least by John's account - and maybe Randy Meeks' artwork). Magnus and John spend time reminiscing about Fantastic Four's Johnny Storm, that scene in X-2 with the beer bottle (though John always thinks that particular Bobby/Logan scene is in the first Xmen film) with the beer bottle and move through several films right up into Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger.

But these musings leave just as many questions as affirmations. Is Marvel being used to build a new MGM style studio system that Thor and Iron Man were the first major inroads of? What harm will backstage beefcakeness like Hugh Jackman went through in the Wolverine movie cause? What would've been different had The Amazing Spiderman not been released in the same year as a big Avengers film? And why do certain male pairings get sexualized and others don't- even with nearly similar content (we're looking at you Tobey!Spiderman and Franco!Goblin). All these and more as the quick run through the Marvel movie verse begins. In honor of Magnus.

Enjoy the beefcake and have a Marvel-ous time. Oh- and don't forget John's episode finale question: Who is your (up to 2012) Marvel hunk of choice?

Nothing really better encapsulates the idea of the horror musical better than Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Starting out as a sensationalist penny dreadful short story for the working class of 19th Century Britain to being the toast of 2023 Broadway, there's been very few years since it's new villainous life as a Sondheim black operetta in 1979 where it wasn't in some stage of being staged somewhere in the world in some capacity.

And it shouldn't work. There's no happy ending. There's no catharsis. It's barely a cautionary tale, more of a fable than anything. It is a world broken and dark and mechanical and unforgiving. Taking place alongside the morbid realities of doomed student uprisings ala Les Mis, it's a show that nobody survives intact. And in fact, the lucky ones really don't survive at all.

From star turns to unknown cameos to actors making their mark, the dark fever dream of Sweeney Todd threatens to make you complicit in the wit and black humor and oppressive revenge seeking that is its hallmark. And you'll love every minute of it. As they say in the stage version (though not the film musical) - Attend the Tale of Sweeney Todd.

2008 was as much a time of upheaval and change as anytime in American history. And usually these times of upheaval and change are accompanied by changes in prevalent art forms. So when Repo! the Genetic Opera followed in the footsteps of Hair (and Tommy) and the Rocky Horror Picture Show, it wasn't a big surprise - though with the creators' intent to not do traditional advertising, its own growth was much slower than perhaps it would've been beyond the traveling road shows.

But Repo! the Genetic Opera is not an opera for just anyone. It's an opera for those who want to see a former Spy Kid playing innocent, naive, but very strong in a babydoll harajuka style. It's for those that yearned to see Giles go dark as Ripper as Anthony Stewart Head turned into a Legal Assassin. And it was for those who love Sarah Brightman and Paul Sorvino and weren't afraid to risk seeing something unusual in order to follow their art.

Repo! the Genetic Opera is about dystopia. It's about the idea that we live on an island atop dead bodies we can't see and though there is death all around us- we want more. We want to Chase the Morning. It's a movie that hit for those in 2008 that were living in a cycle of endless calamity and war (a cycle ongoing) and needed something to turn to that spoke on such a subject in a stylized and somewhat graphic way. And it's a movie that they think about to this day, somewhere in the back of their brains.

Thought it is imperfect, even in its imperfection- there is a vision. And it's easy to see why actors follow the creators of Repo! the Genetic Opera into future works like Devil's Carnival. Because it's distinct, its satisfactory, and it's for sure a ride that you won't take from anyone else. So grab your glass vial and point where you want it to go against your anatomy and spark so you're ready for surgery (surgery).

Why Women Kill was tailor made for the start of the pandemic. A show about sensational idealism focused on sex and murder across three eras of Pasadena with three female leads? What's not to love while stuck in your house with a box of Cheezits? Add in powerhouse acting from Once Upon A Time's Ginnifer Goodwin, Lucy Liu (of Elementary fame since this show premiered on CBS), and Kirby Howell-Baptise fresh off a turn during the final seasons of The Good Place and there was definite magic in the storytelling era.

Even for a fantasy show with salacious bits, it certainly isn't perfect. And even with queer content, Why Women Kill is almost proof that there are certain things that heterosexuality gets away with that queerness still can't in modern pop culture. Ironically, things that it has done before to great and new acclaim.

But for good or for ill, Why Women Kill is a sensational anthology modern masterpiece. Dripping with color, intrigue, and just enough blood to satiate the thirsty, there was very little keeping it from future success. Well. Maybe changing streaming services for season two wasn't the best idea.

Since April is John's birthday month, there was little discussion about the theme for April and more discussion about what would be talked about. And for John, one of the most important and formative movies of the 90s for him was 1998's Pleasantville. From the brain of Gary Ross, Pleasantville was a casting dream with theming both on the surface and deep beneath. It's a narrative about repression and finding yourself. It's a story about rebellion and the teenage years but also a story about the truths (and lies) adults face.

Pleasantville is a story about a black and white world not nearly as black and white as it first appears. And as a feminist piece (or at least a late 90s feminist piece), a sneakily queer ode to self (any movie with a mirror scene it likely qualifies), and a sweet perfectionist blend of 90s pastiche and the absolute obsession with the mythic 1950s Americana 'Norman Rockwell' style life, it's a deeper movie than anyone could ever guess.

And featuring some of the most uplifting yet heartwrenching scenes in maybe any movie anywhere, come with John and Magnus on a tour of Pleasantville old and new in order to celebrate the old and look forward to the new. Of course, nothing is as black and white as it seems but at least there are jars of olives.

This episode asks - if nothing here is real and nothing here is right- then why is everything so right? Because this 2001 musical episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer entitled "Once More With Feeling" is one of the most iconic and well produced episodes of television that has ever been and may never be eclipsed for its poignancy, heartbreak, musical score, character interaction, and one off villain.

After John and Magnus acknowledge that you can't talk about Buffy without talking about the long shadow of Joss, the episode dives into where Once More in centered within the Buffyverse and why such a cult classic with such a cult and genre focused ideology worked - both in its time and still in current times. And event when not everything ages well, Buffy episodes like Once More are high pinnacles of tv with a ton of rewatchability.

Listen in as John breaks down why even though Walk Through Fire and Bunnies are iconic, why Standing/Under Your Spell (repriese) is potentially the most important moment in Buffy canon and why the reveals in Once More are so integral not just to where Buffy has been but where Buffy would go all the way up until the finale. This episode is true Buffy bonanza! (Well, at least until John and Magnus talk about the whole show)

This tv telecast was no frail and fluffy beauty. This telecast was a thoughtful, whimsical reminder of where we've been and an aspirational hope for a multicultural future. Not just an event when it premiered to kick off the return of the Wonderful World of Disney, 1997's Cinderella was a passion project for all involved and it was clearly a moment of joy and affection and story that both influenced further iterations and left some past Cinderella tv telecasts in its shadows.

John and Magnus are here to dissect, inform about some wonderful behind the scenes moments, and give praise where praise is due to the masterwork of Whitney Houston, Brandy Norwood, Whoopi Goldberg, Jason Alexander, Bernadette Peters, Victor Garber, Veanne Cox, Natalie Desselle, and then newcomer Paolo Montalban.

What makes this movie so magical and special? Perhaps it was the music, some of which was brought into the Cinderella for the first time. Perhaps it was the chemistry of the leads or that it feels so much like a true ensemble cast where each gets their chance to shine. Or perhaps it was the scene and set design- blending the fantastic with the reality of the moment. Whatever it was- it will always truly be- Cinderella 1997. Impossible? Never.

2007's Hot Fuzz is many things. It is neo-western. It is folk horror. It is buddy cop. But it is not a parody (according to the creators). What it really seems to be is an affectionate love letter and deconstruction of tropes just as its 2004 predecessor Shaun of the Dead was for zombie fans. John and Magnus talking about these two films in succession shows you both how closely linked they are and yet how fresh Hot Fuzz is and how much it stands on its own.

So saddle up with your best deputy, head into the town square, dodge the crusty jugglers in the catacombs, and get ready for the high speed (swan) chase of your life. That or have a quiet evening at home with your Japanese Peace Lily. Either way works just fine!

What if a movie about zombies really isn't about the zombies at all? What if it is about coming of age, about Gen X and the idea of slackers? What if it is a treatise about loneliness and masculinity and learning how to communicate and put up barriers? That's what John and Magnus are proposing is the message of Shaun of the Dead (2004).

It is a movie about zombies but it more has a Night of the Living Dead Romero vibe wherein the zombies are the story but they are also not quite the point. Can a story about a slacker trying to save his relationship and sort out his life be more? Shaun of the Dead proves that it can be. 

Part of the Blood and Ice Cream or Three Flavors Cornetto trilogy, a conversation about a lost generation begun in 1999's Spaced becomes a much beloved cult zombie movie and an iconic beginning of a cinematic trilogy. And John and Magnus are definitely here for the humor, the wit, the grotesqueness, and the foreshadowings.

Whether it's a 97 release or a 98 release (technically Boxing Day 1997 in the UK) Spice World is really not a film for everyone. Though initially it seems to just cater to those who love the pop and power ballad playfulness of Britain's seminal girl group (sorry Little Mix!), Spiceworld is a comment and critique on so many things. The music industry, feminism, the power of friendship, the power of film and media in general, and even the power of the flash back and flash forward.

Spiceworld is a movie that is both serious and silly. It's camp and drama. It's a mockumentary but it's also an advertisement tool for an album (or vice versa). It's all those things and more which is why often you find people really love it or there'll be those who find it to simply be Too Much.

In whichever camp you live in, it's undeniable that the themes of Girl Power, tongue in cheek play, and the unused script idea that would become Viva Forever! (a totally not Spice Girls jukebox musical) is not something you can ignore. And maybe that's all for the best.

It could've been a flop, but instead it was a transformative hit. Not your usual action movie from a franchise that's been running since 1979. It spent 11 years in pre-production, had to recast the iconic main star, and faced a world full of remakes, reboots, and reimaginings. So what made Mad Max: Fury Road an inspiring hit? What gave it the thoughtfulness and strength to make it stand out? 

It was a million different choices - from casting to editing to sound to location to transformative themes - that brought a new standard to action films in the 2010s. Though perhaps its story goes beyond the action. Mad Max: Fury Road is a symposium on themes of home, feminism, and the future. Listen in as John and Magnus talk about it.

And hold on to your hats for a special mid-episode break where artist Britta K breaks in to talk about the feminist themes and more in the film. Are you ready for a Britta break? We hope you are!

So what is The Santa Clause about? Is it the story of a divorced dad becoming Santa who just happened to be played by 90s grunting funny man Tim Allen? Is it a divorced kid's power fantasy where Charlie Calvin gets to be the son of Santa as a reward for putting up with divorce? Or is it a much deeper, sadder, stranger movie than anyone really sees?

Yes, there's Bernard the elf who is superb. And a massively underutilized Judge Reinhold. And the fantastic world within a world hidden Christmas city. There are silver goblets for hot cocoa and puppet reindeer named Blitzen. But there's loneliness. There's Scott Calvin on an island by himself being willed into being Santa because of some legalistic mumbo jumbo hidden on some card stock that he is powerless against. From the outside, it's a breakdown. Even if the inside is magical.

Whatever the case, come in by the magical fire, spin your snowglobes, suspend your questions about the reality of Santa, and get into the Clause of it all (toy tank nor hot fudge on the side included).

Bob's Burgers is the kind of pure Americana (even in cartoon form) that some aspire to. Between the earnest weirdness of the kids, the day to day mundanity of adulthood punctuated with brief bouts of running, and the mixing of blood and found family to create something unique- Bob's Burgers is a rare show that calls to many and does what few others can do.

And nowhere is that more evident than in the winter holiday episodes. Specifically, John is highlighting his favorites - Last Gingerbread House on the Left and The Bleakening Parts 1 and 2. From Teddy's ability to move the plot along with a story to Linda's ability to great magic and zest from nowhere to Tina as back-up on a reprise of The Bleaken Is Gonna Wish He Was Never Born - Bob's Burgers just doesn't give us the holidays as usual. They give us the holidays as Bob's.

So bring your favorite albino polar bear for a cuddle, get those hazelnuts ready for a winter night's salad, and gather up your Bleaken kink gear because it's time to talk Bob's Burgers in the winter holidays. 

You've seen the Kermit memes. You've probably watched the film. Now listen in as John and Magnus sip mugs of hot cocoa and bring the festive season to an open with a work of art that some deride as saccharine - which isn't as bad a word as people like to think it is - but others uplift as theatrical tradition, ghost story, and a movie with incredibly heart and intention.

1992's Muppet Christmas Carol is a fantastic piece of film musical history that was almost lost to time after a bad box office year versus Aladdin and Home Alone 2. But through it all, the message and the artistry kept bringing families back to it. From the music to the humor to the Muppets understanding the assignment (as they so often do), Muppets Christmas Carol is a movie that just gets better with each subsequent watch.

Don't believe that? Just try to pop it in and do something else. You'll be back on the couch before Kermit sees a brilliant evening star.

Turning Red is a movie about love. But remarkably, it's not a movie about choosing to love romantically. It's a movie about loving yourself, loving your friends, and even loving your imperfect family. Despite how little the trailer shows of the actual gem and conversation of the movie itself, Turning Red will be the underrated gem of the Pixar universe in 20 years.

If we're still doing internet videos at that time, that is.

From first blushes of desire to first blushes of truth, Turning Red is a movie with heart, humor, and warmth. It may not be made exactly for you, but even if K-pop like boys groups aren't really your thing and you don't have to sweep your family's temple daily- there's still so much here to relate to and talk about and enjoy. It's a pastel saturated dream world and it's wonderful. If you loved Inside Out, Turning Red won't be far behind.