The BBC would like to apologize for the following summary: just for the halibut, Nathan and Ben fish through the episode's many inside references and call-backs, floundering to find a unifying theme. They cod have found something better than this one, but you know what they say: hake it 'til you make it! Reach for … Continue reading 17 – The Buzz Aldrin Show
Episodes
Episode 16: Déja Vu
Tonight, on "It's the Mind", we examine the phenomenon of déja vu, that strange sensation when it feels like Nathan and Ben have already talked about the possibility of last minute edits, Scottish "racism", the hilarity of explosions, and the world record for balancing eggs before. https://audioboom.com/posts/7763036-episode-16-deja-vu Sources and References The Official William McGonagall website … Continue reading Episode 16: Déja Vu
24 December 1970: The Aristocats
Anna and Ben divert somewhat from the traditional format of the podcast and after comparing The Aristocats to its canine antecedents and pondering feline genetic— and financial! — inheritance, they get lost in the weeds of discussing Disney's influence on and responsibility to popular culture. So much so that after the quiz on "catnappings", there … Continue reading 24 December 1970: The Aristocats
5 December 1970: Brewster McCloud
Anna and Ben convene in a fallout shelter under the Houston Astrodome to discuss the fiftieth anniversary of Robert Altman's dark fable. They discuss whether commercial art can be "High Art", whether fairy tales need to make sense, and the great Marshmallow Test of all our lives. https://audioboom.com/posts/7744854 Sources and References: Pauline Kael's New Yorker … Continue reading 5 December 1970: Brewster McCloud
7 November 1970: The Phantom Tollbooth
Anna and Ben receive a mysterious package that sends them on a journey of critical analysis regarding Chuck Jones' animated adaptation of The Phantom Tollbooth. They confer about educational theory, converse about mindless tasks, and chat about wordplay before being subjected to the demon that is the terrible Trivium, um, trivia contest. https://audioboom.com/posts/7730310 Sources and … Continue reading 7 November 1970: The Phantom Tollbooth
Episode 15: The Spanish Inquisition
Nathan and Ben discuss the increasing public ire the six Python Boys are willing to display about the BBC, whether the existing show was the result of last minute edits, and charm of expecting a running gag. But nobody expects a quiz about the 1963 film Charade and a digression about 1992's tech espionage film … Continue reading Episode 15: The Spanish Inquisition
Episode 14: Face the Press
Nathan and Ben return with a scheme called "The Other Podcast" where we threaten to analyse episodes of Monty Python's Flying Circus if you don't listen. The next podcast scheme might be the turning point. Until then, enjoy their musings on Graham Chapman's depictions of camp and a quiz on Cartesian Dualism. https://audioboom.com/posts/7701543-episode-14-face-the-press Sources and … Continue reading Episode 14: Face the Press
12 September 1970: Five Easy Pieces
Anna and Ben sit down to investigate the rebellious origins of BBS Productions' film Five Easy Pieces. While not actually a comedy, they examine it as a forerunner of Nicholson's manic performances and an extension of Rafelson's work with The Monkees, and then delve into trivia surrounding the classical music featured in the soundtrack. Sources … Continue reading 12 September 1970: Five Easy Pieces
Episode W861: The Apartment Complex
Anna sits in with Ben to once again revisit anniversary cinema and discuss Billy Wilder's The Apartment on the event of its sixtieth anniversary. Does the romance hold up under contemporary power strictures, how has Mad Men influenced our opinions about office culture in the '60s, and who knows anything about that mishegas down at … Continue reading Episode W861: The Apartment Complex
Episode 1975: Rutland Weekend Television
Diverting somewhat from the mainstream of their remit, Nathan and Ben celebrate the 45th anniversary of the original broadcast of Eric Idle's Rutland Weekend Television by watching the first episode, "Gibberish", and weighing it against half a century of Python comparisons. https://audioboom.com/posts/7579644-episode-1975-rutland-weekend-television Sources and References Eric Idle and Neil Innes interviewed by the NME about … Continue reading Episode 1975: Rutland Weekend Television