The Tape Store

This week Toby and Brooke talk about the 1998 epic animated feature The Prince of Egypt, based on the story of the Hebrew Exodus from Egypt. Join us as we celebrate the beautiful animation, the powerful music, the incredible voice cast. We also take time to compare the movie to its origins in the Bible, as well as the cues it takes from other Exodus films, such as The Ten Commandments.

The Tape Store returns to the realm of Unsolved Mysteries as Brooke and Toby discuss three mythological segments from one of the 80s and 90s greatest shows. We talk about the mysteries surrounding the Mary Celeste, the Duchess Anastasia / Anna Anderson, and The Treasure of Victorio Peak.

This week on The Tape Store Podcast we wrap up Saved By The Bell - "Rockumentary". We talk about the terrible pairing of Zack and Mindy, more Zack Attack studio antics, and the epic conclusion. "Friends forever. It's a nice idea..."

This week on The Tape Store we talk Saved By The Bell's "Rockumentary" (Season 3 - Episode 22). There's so much we love about this episode that we had to break this one up into two parts. We chat about The Zack Attack, Jessie's whereabouts during this episode, studio recording etiquette, Lisa's on-point fashion, Slater's drumming, and of course the fantastic soundtrack.

This week on The Tape Store we cover The X-Files Season 1 Episode 9 - "Space", where Mulder and Scully head to Houston, Texas to investigate the possible sabotage of a space shuttle launch. Join us as we compare and contrast Mulder and Scully's respective "faiths" and how their unique worldviews impact their investigation of this intriguing case.

This week on The Tape Store we talk Unsolved Mysteries, the documentary TV show from the 80s / 90s that struck fear in the hearts of many but kept us coming back for more. We talk about what made the show so remarkable (Robert Stack, that music) and highlight some of the segments that really impacted us over the years. In the words of Robert Stack, "join us", as we talk about the show that helped solve mysteries.

We're back! This episode marks the grand (re)opening of The Tape Store. What the heck happened to us two years ago? Why did we drop off the face of the earth? This episode answers the questions of where we've been and more importantly, where we're going now that we've returned. We also chat about our recent binges of classic episodes of Unsolved Mysteries (fitting).

This week we travel back to Angel Grove and cover "Different Drum" the sixth(?) episode of Season 1 of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (air date September 10th, 1993).  We talk about Kimberly's fluency in sign language, the Bulk vs. Zack dance-off, how the plot revolves around Melissa, an unassuming supporting heroine in the episode, and more.

This week we go back to Bayside to talk about "1-900-CRUSHED" (airdate: November 17th, 1990), the eleventh episode of the 2nd Season (3rd Season if you count the Good Morning Miss Bliss season as Season 1) of Saved By The Bell.  In this episode we follow Zack as he hatches a get rich quick scheme that lands him in a chaotic situation involving Nicki Kapowski (Laura Mooney), Kelly's little sister.  We also talk about Lisa as the hero of the story, Mr. Belding's top-notch principal skills, our experiences as teachers with students with entrepreneurial spirits as well as students who like to eat in class, and more.

After a few weeks of accidental but much needed hiatus, we're back for the new year and opening our 3rd season with the 8th episode of The X-Files, "Ice", which takes Mulder and Scully to Alaska to investigate the mysterious death of a group of geoscientists.  We talk about the stellar supporting cast, the homage this episode pays to John Carpenter's "The Thing" (1982), how the episode highlights Mulder and Scully's necessary differences, and more.  Also, to all our friends and listeners, we truly missed you.

It's December so it's time to delve into our favorite classic holiday stuff.  This week we discuss National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989).  Tune in as we talk about the holiday misadventures of the Griswold family, Todd and Margo, the wise fool Eddie Johnson, the survival abilities of cats, and more.

After a brief hiatus, we're back!  This week we talk about "Night of the Living Dummy II" (air date - January 12, 1996), the tenth episode from the first season of Goosebumps (from the books by R.L. Stine).  We cover the Kramer family and their "Family Nights", the virtues of Mr. and Mrs. Kramer as parents, the importance of completely destroying evil dolls and not just throwing them away when they start doing evil stuff, and the magic that makes Slappy a living dummy.

This week we release our newest episode on Halloween Night as we celebrate our podcast's two year anniversary.  The subject is The Addams Family (1991).  We talk about the film itself and why we love this peculiar and spooky family.  This episode also coincides with Brooke's performance as Morticia Addams in a local theatre production this weekend that just wrapped up last night (Saturday) so obviously we talk about that too (she was FANTASTIC).  Thanks to all of our listeners who have stuck with us these past two years and here's to more!

This week on The Tape Store we revisit one of our favorite Halloween movies, and arguably one of our favorite 90s movies, Hocus Pocus.  We talk about Brooke's theory about the Sanderson Sisters' origins, the history surrounding the time they lived in, the magic of Bette Midler, the brilliant direction of Kenny Ortega, and more.  It's good to be back after 2 weeks.  We missed you guys!

This week we cover the iconic 1984 film Ghostbusters.  As we go through the story, we talk about growing up as 80s/90s kids in the midst of the Ghostbusters phenomena, the incredible cast, the cast that almost was, the strengths and weaknesses of the Ghostbusters themselves, and behind-the-scenes production details.  Shout out to our good friend Steve for providing us with a lot of the notes and content for this episode!

#100!  We are excited about our "centennial episode" which falls on October eve and equally excited about covering Silver Bullet, the 1985 horror film based on the Stephen King novella Cycle of the Werewolf.  Along with guest host Jeff Darden, we cover what is, in our humble opinion, the best werewolf film out there.  We talk about the young unlikely heroes Jane and Marty Coslaw (Corey Haim and Megan Follows), the rough but big-hearted Uncle Red (Gary Busey), the powerful message of love and family under the surface of this horror story, the haunting narration provided by Tovah Feldshuh, and of course the Werewolf himself.

This week at The Tape Store we are joined by our friend, 90s artist, and "Dark" fire-keeper Brett Wilson as we cover The Tale of the Midnight Madness.  We talk about Frank (Jason Alisharan) as an excellent storyteller, Gary and Betty Ann's connection as senior Society members, Dr. Vink at his finest, Christopher Heyerdahl's unforgettable portrayal of Nosferatu, Pete and Katie as one of our favorite couples, and more.  Join us around the campfire...

Episode art courtesy of Brett Wilson (@brettwilsonart)

This week on The Tape Store we talk about The Tale of the Twisted Claw, one of our favorite episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?  It's a special one because it's the first episode Toby every saw when he was a kid, and also because it was actually a pilot episode before the show got an official order of episodes for its first season.  As we go through the episode, we talk about its inspiration from the 1902 short story "The Monkey's Paw", other legends found within the tale such as the appearance of a grim (the black dog), the mysterious Ms. Clove (Ann Page), and a lot more.

We continue "Dark" month at The Tape Store by covering one of the most iconic episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark?, "The Tale of Laughing in the Dark".  Tune in as we talk about the legend of Ol' Zeebo, the lore surrounding this great story, and how what we don't see is much more frightening than what we do.

It begins.  Spooky season has started and if you're part of The Tape Store family, you know we start in September.  This week is special as it begins a special month, as we're dedicating every episode in September to one of the best 90s shows of all time, Are You Afraid of the Dark?  Join us as we talk about The Tale of the Midnight Ride, which carries a big legacy with it, as it references The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.  We also talk about The Midnight Society, Gary's leadership, the introduction of Tucker, Betty Ann as the ultimate right-hand lady, and how we feel the episode hints at a deep friendship between Frank and David.  

This week on The Tape Store we cover 1995's The Indian in the Cupboard (based on the 1980 book of the same name).  We enjoyed this movie as kids, but now as adults returning to the film years later, found deep meaning and powerful messages of bravery and friendship in this incredible story.

This week we cover The X-Files S1 E7, "Ghost in the Machine" (October 29th, 1993) where Mulder and Scully investigate the mysterious death of Benjamin Drake.  We talk about 90s fashion and aesthetics, the return of Deep Throat, another classic Scully moment, and the episode's allusions to Frankenstein.

With everyone going back to school around this time, it only makes sense to go back to Bayside.  This week we cover "Save The Max" (air date September 22, 1990), which is arguably one of the most important Saved By The Bell episodes.  We see the gang discover and re-launch the KKTY Bayside radio show, which soon presents them with crucial lessons of honesty and friendship.  Most importantly, we get a glimpse into the past of Richard Belding, AKA "The Big Bopper".

This week at The Tape Store we're back home in Georgia (we miss you Jeff!) and covering the 1996 Disney animated masterpiece The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  We love this one because it has one of Disney's best heroes (Quasimodo) and worst villains (Frollo).  We also love this one because it's one of Brooke's favorites.  We talk about the great music, the powerful and timeless message, and everything in between.

This week at The Tape Store we take the show on the road.  We are recording from Washington State for this episode while on vacation visiting our guest co-host Jeff Darden.  It's a monumental occasion, as Toby is reunited with his best friend for the first time in 10 years.  It also means we're going to do a monumental movie for us and all 80s / 90s kids:  The Princess Bride (1987).  Tune in as we discuss one of the most fun, magical, and quotable movies ever.  

This week on The Tape Store we go back to Jurassic Park as we discuss 1997's The Lost World, directed by Stephen Spielberg.  In this sequel to the legendary film that started it all, we follow our favorite mathematician Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum) as he returns to what he loves the least, the world of uh, dinosaurs.  We talk about how much we love Dr. Malcolm, but also how much we miss Dr. Grant and Dr. Sattler.  New characters are introduced, some great (Roland Tembo played by Pete Postlethwaite), and some not so great, as we discuss the problems we had with Dr. Sarah Harding (Julianne Moore) as a protagonist.  There's also discussion on the deep messaging presented by the Jurassic Park universe, and as always, we uphold and praise the true king of the story, the one who gets the last world in any chapter of Jurassic Park, the T-Rex.

This week on The Tape Store, as we head into July 4th, we talk about the 1996 Roland Emmerich film Independence Day.  We talk about the film's amazing special effects and how we reacted to the movie as young 90s kids.  Also covered is the ridiculous "Welcome Wagon" scene (What were they thinking?), the dynamic duo of Captain Stephen Hiller (Will Smith) and David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum), President Thomas Whitmore (Bill Pullman) as one of our favorite movie presidents, as well as the film's memorable bit roles, like Marty (Harvey Fierstein), Dr. Okun (Brent Spiner), and Marilyn Whitmore (Mary McDonnell).

We go from Bayside to Angel Grove this week at The Tape Store and cover the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers episode "Food Fight" (S1 E6 - airdate September 4th, 1993).  This episode is widely known for featuring one of the more historically recognizable Finster-created monsters, Pudgy Pig.  However, the real villains (according to Toby and Brooke) are Bulk and Skull who, for no good reason, foment a food fight that totally ruins the Cultural Food Festival, a local charity event that was raising money for the children of Angel Grove.

This week we return to the X-Files to talk about the Monster-of-the-Week episode "Shadows" (Season 1 Episode 6; airdate - October 22nd, 1993), where Mulder and Scully head to Philadelphia to investigate the mysterious death of two robbers, and uncover something much deeper and extraordinary. 

Due to technical difficulties we had to release this episode a day late.  We're so sorry guys.  This week we finish Saved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style.  Will our heroes from Bayside High (with the help of Big Bopper Belding) defeat the dastardly Worthingtons and the Royal Pacific Hotel and save the Hawaiian Hideaway?  Will Screech be able to save the land of the Pukuku Tribe?  What will come of Zack's romance with Andrea?  What is up with Brian Hansen?  Will Slater and Jessie end up fighting before the trip is over? Yes to that last one.  We talk about all of this and more as we continue to kick off summer looking back on Zack and the gang and their exploits in Hawaii, 1992.

This week on The Tape Store Podcast, we celebrate the beginning of the Summer months with Saved By The Bell: Hawaiian Style.  In this first part of a two-part series, we find our favorite 90s Bayside kids on a 2-week trip to Hawaii where adventure and shenanigans ensue.  We talk about the magic of Zack Morris that always works when he uses it for others, the wonderful Dean Jones, Mr. Belding's sincere love and admiration for the gang, the importance of the Pukuku Tribe in this story, and how we enjoyed seeing actor Dan Gauthier in yet another great 90s performance.  

We end Star Wars month at The Tape Store this week with the conclusion of Heir to the Empire (Timothy Zahn, 1991).  We get more of the brilliance of Grand Admiral Thrawn, discover the mystery of Mara Jade's obsession with Luke Skywalker, and Lando joins the party too.  Tune in as we bring the first chapter of The Thrawn Trilogy to a close with guest host Jeff Darden.

Star Wars month continues as we discuss Timothy Zahn's 1991 novel "Heir to the Empire", the first of a three-part epic story known famously as "The Thrawn Trilogy".  That's right Star Wars fans, Grand Admiral Thrawn, arguably one of the greatest Star Wars villains, was born in the 90s.  We dive into the story that takes place 5 years after the events of Return of the Jedi, where we join Luke Skywalker, who struggles with the personal burden of being the last Jedi.  We also join Han and Leia, who are dealing with marriage and being pregnant, awaiting the arrival of twins.  Also looming in the midst of our heroes is the massive undertaking of building a new government while dealing with the remnants of the Galactic Empire, which, though weakened, is still a threat.  Then there's Grand Admiral Thrawn himself, who needs no introduction and truly makes this story one worth reading.

Shadows of the Empire (1996) concludes this week at The Tape Store as we continue to celebrate Star Wars month with the Expanded Universe.  We discuss an array of topics, including the peeling away of more complex layers of Darth Vader, Prince Xizor's attempted romance with Princess Leia, how our heroes fare without the magic of Han Solo, the dreaded and hilarious sewer scene, Luke and Lando's disastrous escape plan from Xizor's palace, and how Star Wars, beloved as it as, is inconsistent when it comes to dealing with death and destruction.

It's May, and that means we return to the world of Star Wars here at The Tape Store.  For Star Wars month this year, we decided to explore the Expanded Universe, beginning with the prolific 1996 novel Shadows of the Empire by Steve Perry, which spawned a line of toys, a comic book series, and a Nintendo 64 video game.  In Part 1 of a two-part series with guest co-host Jeff Darden, we cover the story's prologue, which gives us a very interesting perspective on a classic scene from Empire Strikes Back.  We then pick up with Luke Skywalker and friends (Leia, Chewy, and Lando), right after the events of Empire, as they pursue Boba Fett in hopes of saving Han.  In the midst of this, Luke continues his Jedi training and also continually evades the clutches of Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine.  We also introduce new characters, the "Han-alternate" Dash Rendar, as well as the complex and interesting new antagonist, Prince Xizor. 

Thank you to all of our listeners who helped choose this week's episode!  This week we cover 1985's The Goonies.  In one of our favorite all-time adventure films, we follow Mikey Walsh and The Goonies as they search for the treasure of One-Eyed Willy, avoid the sinister Fratellis, and hope to save their homes in The Goon Docks of Astoria, Oregon.  We talk about Mikey Walsh (Sean Astin) as the seemingly unlikely but idealistic and effective leader of The Goonies, Brandon Walsh (Josh Brolin) as a solid big brother, and the incredible ensemble that makes this film so special.  We also hit on the powerful message of the story, that everyone has a part to play, and no one should be underestimated.

This week we go back to Bayside with "All in the Mall", the 16th episode from the 3rd season of Saved By The Bell (air date - November 9th, 1991).  In this episode we follow Zack and the gang (sans Jessie) in what starts as a trip to the mall to get concert tickets but soon devolves into a crazy caper involving a bag of money, two shady characters, a smooth shoe salesman, and a camping tent.  We also compare and contrast a tornado watch and a tornado warning, as well as mezzanine and orchestra seating.

This week we conclude our three-part podcast series on Steven Spielberg's 1993 film, Jurassic Park.  We discuss the final act of the film, including the iconic kitchen-raptor scene, the enduring legacy of the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the significance of the Hammond-Sattler discussion, and the meaning we took from the film's brief but impactful final moments on the helicopter as the survivors leave Isla Nublar.

In Part 2 of what we've decided will be a 3-part series, we pick up where we left off last week with Jurassic Park (1993).  We discuss the park's sudden downward spiral from majestic and enchanting to chaotic and deadly, Dennis Nedry's change from foil to villain and his unfortunate encounter with the dilophosaurus, and of course, meeting the Tyrannosaurus Rex.

We're excited to finally get around to one of our favorite movies, Jurassic Park (1993).  We love this movie so much, and have been so impacted by it, we realized into recording this episode that we're going to have to make this a three-part series.  We talk about how the movie impacted us as kids and where we were in our respective lives when we first saw it.  We then get into the first part of the film's plot, where we meet the main players, Dr. Alan Grant and Dr. Ellie Sattler (Sam Neill and Laura Dern), the child-like John Hammond (Richard Attenborough), Tim and Lex (Joseph Mazello and Ariana Richards), the nefarious Dennis Nedry (Wayne Knight), and of course, the unforgettable Dr. Ian Malcolm (Jeff Goldblum).  Also discussed is the beautiful film score (John Williams) and the film's major themes, which can be summed up by simply saying that life...uh...finds a way.

This week at The Tape Store we talk about 1999's Never Been Kissed, a classic 90s rom-com starring Drew Barrymore that is especially near and dear to Brooke's heart.  We discuss the great things about this film, like the all-star cast, not to mention the hilarious bit characters of Merkin (Sean Whalen) and Brett (Alex Solowitz).  Also covered are the duel story arcs presented, the powerful messages that the film tackles, and where we felt the film unravelled a bit.

This week at The Tape Store we celebrate the 30th anniversary of 1991's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze, the direct sequel to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (1990) and the film that birthed "Ninja Rap".  We talk at length about this film's sudden divergence from its predecessor, the problems this presented, the merits the film manages to have despite its significant shortcomings, and the iconic moments in it that scream "1990s!".

It's been a while since we've talked about The Muppets (Season 1 Episode 6 to be exact), so this week at The Tape Store we cover the second of what we call the "90s Muppet Trilogy" with Muppet Treasure Island (1996).  We praise Tim Curry's iconic and layered performance of Long John Silver and his deep bond with the young Jim Hawkins (Kevin Bishop), the brief but memorable performances of Billy Connolly and Jennifer Saunders, and our favorite musical numbers that will always be with us.

This week at The Tape Store we discuss a pressing engagement, as in "A Pressing Engagement", the fourth Mighty Morphin Power Rangers episode.  We cover Jason's importance as leader of the group, the questionable bench press record he's trying to break, more Rita Repulsa savagery, the formidable monster "King Sphinx", and we also tackle about one of the mysteries presented by this episode:  Where are Billy and Trini during all this?

We go back to The X-Files at The Tape Store this week and cover "The Jersey Devil" (S1 E5; air date 10/08/1993).  In another "Monster-of-the-Week" episode, Mulder and Scully travel in an unofficial capacity to Atlantic City, New Jersey to investigate the death of Roger Crockett.  We talk about the extensive lengths Mulder will go to discover the truth in a case.  More importantly, in this particular episode, we discuss Scully's struggle to choose between her newfound life of adventure and danger shared with Mulder; and her longing for a life of her own.  

This week at The Tape Store we talk about Roland Emmerich's "Godzilla" (1998).  Brooke celebrates this film, and Toby does his best, since this film really throws out the rich and beloved mythology of one of film history's most celebrated monsters.  This begs the question of whether or not this film is an actual Godzilla film (Toby says no).  We open with a discussion about why mythology is so important to both Godzilla as a character and to the overarching narrative of any Godzilla film.  We then get into the 1998 film, where we praise the performances of Matthew Broderick as Dr. Nick Tatopoulos, Jean Reno as the mysterious Phillipe Roache, Hank Azaria as Victor "Animal" Palotti, as well as Vicki Lewis's portrayal of unsung heroine Dr. Elsie Chapman.  Other topics include the film's struggle to decide whether to be sympathetic to Godzilla or not, and the problem of Audrey Timmonds (Maria Pitillo).

This week on The Tape Store, we go back to Bayside with an episode dedicated to the late Dustin Diamond.  We cover Season 4 Episode 3, "Screech's Spaghetti Sauce" (air date September 19th, 1992), where the gang attempts to hit it big in the food industry with a spaghetti sauce recipe from Screech's grandmother, with disastrous results.  We talk about their new student-produced news show "Wake Up LA", the onscreen chemistry of Zack and Lisa, Screech as an actual brilliant and useful member of the group but with a debilitating flaw, Mr. Belding as a solid administrator and role model, and the infamous Robin (guest star Soleil Moon Frye - AKA Punky Brewster).

It's showtime again at The Tape Store as we return to the Neitherworld to talk about Beetlejuice (1988).  If you haven't listened to our first foray into one of our favorite 80s films, go check out Episode #11 of The Tape Store.  This week we analyze the characters of the Maitlands (Alec Baldwin and Gina Davis), the Deetzes (Jeffrey Jones and Catherine O'Hara), Lydia (Winona Ryder), Otho (Glenn Shadix), and the man-in-stripes himself (Michael Keaton).  What / who is the film actually about?  Who are the protagonists?  Is there a villain, and if so, who is it?  Is Beetlejuice actually bad?  Is there a message in this wonderfully outrageous film?  Tune in as we answer all of these questions.