Unboxing Story
By Jon and Melissa
Unboxing StoryJan 06, 2020
Nerdcore: Pulp & Parody
The Invisible Stan ft. Knives Out & Devs
The last days of winter simmered with suspense. We met the new Invisible Man, witnessed Rian Johnson's whodunnit, Knives Out, and shadowed two unusual sci-fi suspects: Devs and Alter Carbon (season 3.) Join authors Jon and Melissa Matos as they recount what stories kept them on the edge of their seat, and what palette cleansers helped cut the tension.
Picard, Parasite & Post-Con Pondering
Starry-eyed Sagas (ft. Star Wars IX & Little Women, 2019)
Disney Festivus ft. Frozen 2
Mentalist Ghostbusters ft. Doctor Sleep
Siren Song: Ghostly Mysteries
Spooky Disney: Maleficent 2 & Toy Story 4
Put on your Mickey ears and grab your pumpkin pail: it's time for a Disney/Halloween movie mash-up! Fresh off a Disney Cruise voyage, Melissa and Jon discuss three scary sequels: Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, Toy Story 4 and Zombieland 2.
Best in Show: El Camino
Putting the Puzzle Together ft. The Westing Game
Pieces of this talk include: a mystery novel that feels like a puzzle, a brief discussion of how good theology can help fantasy writing, and what we're excited about in sci-fi and fantasy coming soon.
Follow us on Facebook or Twitter @Unboxing Story!
Hipsterstellar ft. Ad Astra & Downton Abbey: The Movie
Breaking Genre: Cats Don't Dance
Siren Song: Once (2007)
Provincial wisdom says roses from a street corner vendor aren't anything special, but the charming romantic drama 'Once' is anything but provincial. Discover the story of Guy and Girl, a vacuum repairman and flower girl who dream of making music. Melissa and Jon Matos take a break from humming the film's many soulful songs to discuss its blend of poetry and slice-of-life drama.
Join Jon on January 24th - 26th for Evil Expo: The Convention for Villains!
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, or leave us a message on our homepage.
Magic Muppets ft. Netflix's Dark Crystal
Good Vibes ft. Another Life
Fantasy Flops ft. MTV's Shannara Chronicles
Siren Song: Ice Queens ft. Huntsman: Winter's War
Fairytale retellings are here, and they're bad (but, like: Michael Jackson bad.) Huntsman: Winter's War builds on Universal Studio's expanded universe of evil queens by introducing Freya, a snow queen out to stifle all love. It's bad news for the two "Huntsmen" at the story's center, forcing these two orphans to rediscover their romance in the face of certain death. Melissa Matos of Momtoast.com opens the first full episode of "Siren Song," a series that will explore strong female characters and songwriters, by taking on the "Evil Queen," and how she has inspired songs like "You Should See Me in a Crown" by Billie Eilish and "Castle" by Halsey.
Breaking Genre: The Signal (2014)
Aah! Real Pathos ft. Good Grief
Good books make you feel things, but what if that's all they do? Melissa and Jon review a local author's book, Good Grief, and discuss how it achieves a high level of intimacy and honesty without becoming melodramatic. Can a novel survive without ninjas and 80's nostalgia, even if its protagonist grew up with similar pop culture touchstones? Find out inside...
Disney...! Live Action? | Live @ Philly Podfest
The magic of Disney animation is part of our DNA, so when it changes, has Disney changed or have we? Melissa and Jon recorded this special, nostalgia-filled episode at the 7th Annual Philly Podfest, thanks to the sponsors below and the lovely people at Indy Hall. Relive VHS tapes and discuss live-action Disney on our Twitter or Facebook, or leave us a voicemail. We'd love hear from you!
The 7th Annual Philly Podfest was sponsored by:
New Media Touring
Tattooed Mom
Indy Hall
The National Liberty Museum
Obie Media
Click/Save Photography/Design
Philly Podcast Studio
T-House Screen Printing
Umbrella Academy & Black Parade
Iron Throne IRL ft. Stranger Things 3
Melissa returns from the live-action mega-game "Dragon Thrones," (played at an actual castle in Bryn Mawr, PA,) to give us her first impressions. The "LARPing" talk continues as Jon talks about his reading of Stranger Things as a millennial and role-playing newbie.
Join us for Pancakes & Podcasts, including our live recording of Disney Deconstructed ft. Lion King (2019) on Saturday, June 20th at Indy Hall in the Colonial Penn building.
Best in Show: Warehouse 13
Authors Jon and Melissa Matos spotlight a show SciFi.com described as "part X-Files, part [Indiana Jones,] part Moonlighting." Melissa loves this action comedy that balances thrills with believable romance and character growth. Listen as we gush about our favorite tributes to history, mythology, and genre inside this new sci-fi / fantasy classic series.
Breaking Genre: "Story of Your Life" aka Arrival
Aliens. Time travel. Portals into another world. These are mainstays of science fiction, and can make or break an audience's viewing experience. Ted Chiang crafted a short story that quietly broke the mold, and would later inspire a cerebral blockbuster by director Denis Villeneuve and screenwriter Eric Heisserer: 2016's Arrival. Authors Jon and Melissa Matos praise Chiang's mastery of world-building, organic storytelling, and how "Story of Your Life" uses theoretical physics to explain human connections.
Live @ Wizard World Philly! ft. Dark Phoenix Saga
Godzilla: King of the Kaiju
Mon-Stars were around long before Space Jam. Giant blobs and fifty foot women towered above the audience in glorious 35 millimeter monochrome, but in 1956, the king of the monsters was anointed. Godzilla was born, and now he's back, but do authors Jon and Melissa Matos care about the kaiju renaissance? And why do some beasts bore us, while others break the mold?
Check out Games My Mom Found!
INKLINGS MONTH: "On Fairy-Stories" Essay Talk
Jon and Melissa Matos discuss J.R.R. Tolkien's defense of fairytales. Decades before D&D and Game of Thrones, the fantasy genre was limited to children's books and ancient history. In the last episode of INKLINGS MONTH, join our discussion on modern mythology. What is your favorite fantasy story? Hit us up @UnboxingStory with your picks!
INKLINGS MONTH: C.S. Lewis ft. Matt Crotts
INKLINGS MONTH: Surprised by Shadowlands (1993)
INKLINGS MONTH: Tolkien (2019)
INKLINGS MONTH: J. R. R. Tolkien & Modern Fantasy
Seventy years ago, if you walked into the right bar in Oxford, England, you might have heard J.R.R. Tolkien reading an epic poem, about dwarves searching for lost gold, a love beset by evil times, or a great Ring of Power that conquers men's hearts. Maybe you'd scoff at it, and join the likes of C.S. Lewis in yelling out "nay," if just for a laugh.
You have joined a meeting of the Inklings, a group that included Lewis, and other writers, like Owen Barfield, J. A. W. Bennett, and more. Tolkien stands out as a titan in the group: a writer whose created stories within stories, languages and cultures, and brought history to life through age-old symbols, creatures, and epic poetry. INKLINGS MONTH is our celebration of this historic writing group, and the legends they created that would influence a generation of readers, writers, and storytellers in every medium.
Tell us your favorite Tolkien tome, tale, or trope on Facebook or Twitter! Inklings Month is about connecting with fans like you. And don't forget to join as on Melissa's YouTube channel, Momtoast, for our discussion of "On Fairy Stories."
The End of an Era ft. Avengers: Endgame
Poetic Justice: Lawrence of Arabia
Native Son Book Talk #readthe5th
The Twilight Zone & Small Screen Sci-Fi
"You are about to enter another dimension, not only of sight and sound, but of mind." So began the most iconic sci-fi anthology series in history: 156 episodes over 5 years, and everyone has a favorite. Melissa and Jon reflect on the show's history, as well as the recent reboot's pilot episode, "The Comedian." What ensues is more Jordan Peele fangirling, some Kumail Nanjiani love, and a tribute to the small screen sci-fi of yesteryear.
Reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter, and log onto Momtoast.com for more sci-fi / fantasy stories.
Jordan Peele's 'Us' & Woke Horror
"A new nightmare" from screenwriter, director, and comedy giant Jordan Peele invites uncomfortable laughter and thoughtful thrills. Jon and Melissa offer (non-spoiler) thoughts on the how Jordan's sophomore movie fits into the horror genre, and what they expected going into 'Us.' But beware, all ye who listen past the mid-roll ads: your co-hosts spend the back-end of the podcast diving into the lore of this socially-conscious thriller, as well as their favorite sequences, scenes, and spooky extended metaphors. Thou hast been warned.
Check out Momtoast.com for more female warriors, or get Jon's creepy 90's nostalgia novel.
Mid-Knights in Paris ft. Knightfall
Captain Marvel & Female Superheroes
Gender-bent homages and femme fatales have fallen. From the rubble, Marvel re-envisioned classic characters to better represent their readers. Captain Marvel is the latest adaptation, and the perfect Rosetta Stone to decipher what makes a female hero tick. Melissa and Jon review the film, discuss common tropes, and define #comicsgate. They also discuss the difference between harassment and critique, and how publishing and politics intersect.
Heels & Feels ft. Song of Achilles
Robin Williams: Mad Genius ft. The Fisher King
#OscarsSoWhack: Snobs, Snubs & Our Picks
Jewish G.I. Joes ft. Philip Roth's "Defender of the Faith"
Maniac Pixie Dream Girl ft. Miss Bala
"Bullets solve everything," or at least they do at the Mexico border, according to our bad boy antagonist. Ismael Cruz Córdova plays a gang leader and captor of our lead heroine played by Gina Rodriguez. Their cat-and-mouse relationship sparks conversations about cinematography, sexist film-making, and how cultural context effects criticism. Listen as two sorta Rican siblings debate the merits of a middling Hispanic shoot-em-up based on a Spanish-language film.
Breaking Genre: Neon Noir ft. Drive (2011)
Grab your synth cassettes and the keys to the Mustang. Nicholas Winding Refn's Drive updates crime noir all the way to the 80's, creating a new generation of retro thrillers that has invaded films, TV, and video games. Do the neon lights and electro-pop make it style over substance? Does Refn say something with a scorpion jacket you couldn't say in a 40's speakeasy? Join thriller author Jon Matos and his noir fan sister, Melissa, on a wild ride through the underworld of L.A., into the core of the crime / drama genre.
'Glass' and Quixotic Horror
Meet the kooky criminals at the center of 'Glass,' the third in a genre-bending trilogy including 'Unbreakable' and 'Split.' This superhero-thriller closes with a conflict between a vigilante, a mastermind, a man/beast, and a cynical psychologist. Fanboy (and -girl) Jon and Melissa team-up to explain their post-modern reading of 'Glass,' and how each major character adds to this story's epic conclusion.
Poetic Justice: Langston Hughes
Concept Albums: Third Reich Rush? ft. 2112
Alt-right Rush?? Say it isn't so! Before "progressive" was a political label, the band Rush were "prog" rockers: composing symphonies of screaming guitars and soulful ballads. But how did their space opera earn them a comparison with Nazis? Is "2112" just one of many half-baked sci-fi concept albums, or does it set the standard for 70's space jams? Jon and Melissa continue to investigate stories set to a soundtrack, by way of ancient aliens, jukebox heroes, and shrugging off Ayn Rand.
Southern Gothic & Flannery O'Connor ft. "A Good Man is Hard to Find"
The nightmare after Christmas is Southern-fried with racism on the side. Melissa and Jon explore the imagery and irony in Flannery O'Conner's short story "A Good Man is Hard to Find," and compare it to Gothic writers and modern art theory. Does O'Conner's scathing satire conflict with her Christian worldview? Do difficult characters distract readers from a story's deeper meaning? Languish in the self-indulgent, but self-aware world of the Southern Gothic with us, and find out how far pathos can be pushed.