Purely Academic with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman

Purely Academic #31 - DLSS 5, Pokémon Pokopia, Resident Evil, and Silly Texas Acronyms

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 2 Apr 2026 13:00:00 +0000

The news just won’t stop coming, so we once again have an overstuffed Monthly Stuff episode to break it all down, from the reveal of Nvidia’s horrific slop-fueled DLSS 5, to Sony raising prices dramatically on PS5 systems, to the announcement of a new Lord of the Rings movie from Stephen Colbert, and more! Once we’re doing breaking all that down, Jonathan tells us all about his adventures in Pokémon Pokopia, while Sean explains how he spent spring break playing - *checks notes* - 7 different Resident Evil games. And finally, Jonathan is on deck for The Monthly Ten, as Sean tasks him to come up with 10 increasingly ridiculous new acronyms for the State of Texas’ annual standardized tests.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:37

Video Game News: 0:04:37 – 1:20:00

Movie News: 1:20:00 – 1:55:31

Anime News: 1:55:31 – 2:01:33

Jonathan’s New Computer Stories: 2:01:33 – 2:17:00

Ultraman Nexus: 2:17:00 – 2:33:50

Pokemon Pokopia: 2:33:50 – 2:50:27

Sean’s Resident Evil Adventures: 2:50:27 – 3:26:23

The Monthly Ten: 3:26:23 – 3:43:57

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #30 - RESIDENT EVIL REQUIEM Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 12 Mar 2026 13:00:00 +0000

There’s very little we enjoy talking about more than Resident Evil here at Purely Academic, as the series has been on one of the most amazing hot streaks in the history of gaming over this past decade. The latest entry, Resident Evil Requiem, is a stirring summation of everything these games have done well as of late, combining the survival horror and bombastic action the series has perfected across Resident Evil 7 and Village and the Resident Evil 2 and 4 remakes all into one incredible package. With a great new protagonist in Grace Ashcroft and a new story for series favorite Leon S. Kennedy, Requiem is as good a time we’ve had playing – or talking about – a game in a very long time.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:36

Jonathan Talks Twin Peaks & Alamo Drafthouse: 0:04:36 – 0:34:46

Sean Talks Nioh 3: 0:34:46 – 0:55:22

Resident Evil Requiem Review: 0:55:22 – 02:43:27

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #29 - The Decimation of Gaming, the Destruction of Hollywood, and the Dawn of Ditto

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 5 Mar 2026 14:00:00 +0000

It’s been a big – and depressing – few weeks of news in the entertainment industry, so we’re back for the March ‘Monthly Stuff’ episode to break it all down. First up we have Sony’s sudden (and infuriating) closure of Bluepoint, the studio behind many top-of-the-line remakes and remasters including 2020’s Demon Souls, which prompts a broader discussion about the issues Sony has had during the PS5 generation. Then we have the news of Phil Spencer’s retirement at Xbox, and the installation of one of Microsoft’s AI executives into the job. And then there’s the matter of Netflix bowing out of their proposed acquisition of Warner Bros., leaving the road open for Paramount (and the Ellison family) to gobble up Hollywood’s oldest, most storied institution. With all that terrible news, we needed a pick-me-up at the end, which comes in the form of a very silly Monthly Ten, in which Sean imagines 10 games that steal the premise of Pokémon Pokopia by putting a Ditto front and center in the middle of the action.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:22

Bluepoint & PlayStation News: 0:05:22 – 1:01:12

Xbox News: 1:01:12 – 1:33:31

Video Game News: 1:33:31 – 1:57:52

Anime News: 1:57:52 – 2:10:20

Hollywood News: 2:10:20 – 2:28:45

Monthly Ten: 2:28:45 – 2:51:16

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #28 - Sony State of Play News, Classic Dragon Quest Games, and Resident Evil Spin-off Ideas

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 20 Feb 2026 14:00:00 +0000

In a very video game-centric episode of the podcast, we talk all the news out of this month’s Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase and Sony State of Play, including the announcement of a God of War trilogy remake, a new Castlevania game from the Dead Cells team, and more! Sean fills us in on the controversies surrounding Yakuza Kiwami 3, and we commiserate over the continued desecration of the video game market due to AI gobbling up the RAM supply. Jonathan talks about playing through Dragon Quest IV and Dragon Quest V, the latter for the first time – if you haven’t heard, it’s a masterpiece – while Sean tells us about his adventures going to San Antonio for a conference. And finally, for The Monthly Ten, Jonathan pitches Capcom on 10 increasingly silly ideas for Resident Evil crossovers and spin-offs, in honor of next week’s release of Resident Evil Requiem.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:45

Lucasfilm/Star Wars News: 0:09:45 – 0:32:50

Assorted Video Game News: 0:32:50 – 1:11:22

Nintendo Direct: 1:11:22 – 1:25:00

Sony State of Play: 1:25:00 – 2:09:25

Sean’s Conference Adventures: 2:09:25 – 2:42:02

Jonathan’s Dragon Quest Adventures: 2:42:02 – 3:09:17

The Monthly Ten: 3:09:17 – 3:34:44

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Preview - Japanimation Station Returns for our TOMINO-THON on March 15th, 2026

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 1 Feb 2026 18:00:00 +0000

Our sister podcast, the anime history and review show Japanimation Station, returns on March 15th, 2026 for its 6th season, and it’s one listeners have been demanding for a long time: our Tomino-thon! Throughout 2026, we’ll be peering into the delightfully deranged mind of Tomino Yoshiyuki, creator of Mobile Suit Gundam, which kicked off our entire anime podcasting journey with our ‘Weekly Suit Gundam’ series back in 2019. Now, we’ll be returning to the world of Tomino with deep dives into every TV series and film he’s ever directed. In this special preview episode, we outline the season’s first half, “The New Anime Era,” in which we’ll be analyzing each of Tomino’s shows from 1977’s Invincible Super Man Zambot 3 through 1984’s Heavy Metal L-Gaim. Season 6 Part 1 will run for 12 episodes uninterrupted through May. After a summer break, we’ll then return in the fall for a second half picking up with 1985’s Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam. Will you be able to survive?

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #27 - The Top 10 Video Games of 2025

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

The time has come, once again: Sean and Jonathan are here to count down the Top 10 Video Games of 2025. It was an undeniably weird year for the medium, with some exciting developments – like the launch of Nintendo’s Switch 2 and a strong first year of exclusive – marred by a lot of depressing industry upheaval, and the AAA space was largely pretty thin. We go quite a bit off the beaten path this year discussing our favorites, and while you’ve heard us talk about some of these before, there are a lot of surprises along the way. And this is the only Game of the Year podcast where you won’t hear anyone talk about Clair Obscur, because we simply didn’t play it. If nothing else, our lists are very unique.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:15:27

#10: 0:15:27 – 0:32:00

#9: 0:32:00 – 0:48:23

#8: 0:48:23 – 1:03:48

#7: 1:03:48 – 1:20:06

#6: 1:20:06 – 1:44:22

#5: 1:44:22 – 2:07:28

#4: 2:07:28 – 2:21:02

#3: 2:21:02 – 2:39:17

#2: 2:39:17 – 3:06:48

#1 GOTY Picks: 3:06:48 – 3:39:40

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #26 - The Best Films of 2025 & Sean’s Digimon Adventures

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 15 Jan 2026 15:07:51 +0000

For our first show of 2026, we look back on the best movies of 2025, as Jonathan talks us through his list of the 20 best films to come out last year, from undisputed favorites like Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, to anime stunners like the Chainsaw Man and Kimetsu no Yaiba movies, to some weirder, smaller, and more personal picks. Then, Sean talks us through his busy winter vacation spent in the world of Digimon, reviewing the latest Digimon Story game, Time Stranger, alongside the 2021 Digimon anime Digimon Ghost Game and the first cours of the brand new Digimon Beatbreak. Finally, we round out the episode with a very depressing Monthly Ten where Sean is tasked with imagining ten ways we could sell our souls to become more popular podcasters.

Enjoy, and come back next week for our Top 10 Video Games of 2025 episode!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:33

News: 0:08:33 – 0:40:16

Jonathan’s Favorite Films of 2025: 0:40:16 – 1:58:40

Sean’s Digimon Adventures: 1:58:40 – 2:58:38

The Monthly Ten: 2:58:38 – 3:27:20

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #25 - Metroid Prime 4, Super Robot Wars, Netflix/WB Merger, and Improving Christmas

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Fair warning: this month’s episode starts out as a major bummer, what with news of the Netflix/WB merger and the pricing madness around RAM spelling doom for both Hollywood and the gaming industry, topics we dive deep on to make ourselves extremely sad. But once you get past all that, we start having some fun, as Jonathan reviews the flawed but extremely fun Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on Nintendo Switch and Sean talks at length about falling down the Super Robot Wars rabbit hole, which is an absolutely amazing segment. Then we finish things off with a very misanthropic – but very funny – Monthly Ten segment in which Jonathan lists 10 ways to improve Christmas in 2025, most of which involve taking aim at traditions people love. Pa rum pa pum pum.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:50

Netflix/WB Merger: 0:08:50 – 0:26:50

Star Wars News: 0:26:50 – 0:35:45

Steam Machines: 0:35:45 – 0:51:42

RAM Madness: 0:51:42 – 1:14:38

Call of Duty and Game Award News: 1:14:38 – 1:54:35

Metroid Prime 4: 1:54:35 – 2:38:02

Ultraman Cosmos: 2:38:02 – 2:55:00

Super Robot Wars: 2:55:00 – 3:24:04

Monthly Ten: 3:24:04 – 3:52:10

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #24 - The FRANKENSTEIN Episode: The Original Novel, The 1931 Film, and the 2025 Film

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 2 Dec 2025 15:42:52 +0000

For our November topic – coming just in time for the start of December – we celebrate the release of Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein with a three-part retrospective on one of the most famous stories in the English language. First, we take a look at the original 1818 novel by Mary Shelley – which has been one of Sean’s favorite books, but was new to Jonathan – and celebrate its tremendous accomplishments, all of which still feel revelatory today. Then we talk about the classic 1931 Universal movie, directed by James Whale and starring Boris Karloff, which doesn’t take much from the book, but establishes much of the story’s endearing iconography. And finally, we give a full review of the brand new version, directed by the inimitable Guillermo del Toro, who leave his own original stamp on the material in ways that are very much worth discussing.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:19:29

The Novel: 0:19:29 – 1:27:22

The 1931 Film: 1:27:22 – 1:56:35

The 2025 Film: 1:56:35 – 3:12:26

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #23 - School Stories, Pokémon Legends Z-A, Ghost of Yōtei & Taylor Swift x Shakespeare Collabs

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 14 Nov 2025 15:00:00 +0000

In one of our most absolutely jam-packed Monthly Stuff installments to date, we live up to our moniker with a long discussion of teaching stories and curriculum planning (but it’s fun, we promise) before moving on to talk about the avalanche of games we’ve playing recently, including Ghost of Yōtei, Pokémon Legends Z-A, Hades II, Super Robot Wars Y, and the Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake. Before all that, we discuss some recent news, including updates on Doctor Who, Halo, and One Piece, and we end the show with perhaps our best Monthly Ten segment to date, in which Sean Chapman, who had never listened to a Taylor Swift song before this month, imagines 10 future Taylor Swift songs based on dark and upsetting plot points in William Shakespeare plays. It’s a blast.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:48

News: 0:04:48 – 0:54:29

School Stories: 0:54:29 – 1:51:30

Robert Eggers’ Nosferatu: 1:51:30 – 2:07:45

Plur1bus: 2:07:45 – 2:14:40

Ghost of Yōtei: 2:14:40 – 2:27:04

Hades II: 2:27:04 – 2:35:35

Pokémon Legends ZA: 2:35:35 – 2:54:30

Super Robot Wars Y: 2:54:30 – 3:01:25

Dragon Quest I & II HD-2D Remake: 3:01:25 – 3:07:14

The Monthly Ten: 3:07:14 – 3:31:16

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #22 - Reviewing Kyoto Animation’s CITY: THE ANIMATION

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000

We spent a full year chronicling the history of Kyoto Animation on our anime podcast, Japanimation Station, back in 2024, which means we are very excited to talk about CITY: THE ANIMATION, the latest anime series from the renowned studio. Directed by Violet Evergarden helmer Ishidate Taichi and based on the manga Nichijou author Arawi Keiichi, CITY is one of the absolute greatest series KyoAni has produced to date, a return not only to Arawi’s zany comic stylings, but to the bold, experimental spirit of KyoAni’s early work. Seamlessly blending wild, anarchical comedy with heartfelt, shockingly rich storytelling about friendship, nostalgia, and community, CITY isn’t just a triumph: it’s an outright masterpiece, and we couldn’t be happier to talk about it at length on today’s show.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #21 - Hades II, Ghost of Yōtei, Xbox Pricing Madness, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 8 Oct 2025 13:00:00 +0000

We’re back for the month of October with an exciting episode covering both the highs and lows of the video game industry in 2025. In terms of ‘low,’ we’ve got more Xbox Pricing Madness, as Microsoft once again hiked prices on Xbox hardware, before unveiling a full 50% raise to the price of Xbox Game Pass, a move that feels like the definitive end of the brand’s subscription model experiment. In terms of ‘highs,’ though, games are still great, and there’s way too many out there for us to play them all! Jonathan gives first impressions of Hades II from Supergiant, while Sean talks Ghost of Yōtei, Sucker Punch’s historical samurai sequel for the PS5. We also talk the latest Genshin Impact update, Super Robot Wars Y, and engage in a very fun, very silly Monthly Ten as we consider the lessons teenagers actually need to be taught before they get out of high school.

Enjoy!

Time Chart

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:18

Xbox Pricing Madness & Other News: 0:03:18 – 1:21:14

Ghost of Yotei: 1:21:14 – 1:37:50

Hades II: 1:37:50 – 1:57:00

Genshin Impact 6.0: 1:57:00 – 2:09:54

Super Robot Wars Y: 2:09:54 – 2:31:59

The Monthly Ten: 2:31:59 – 3:10:00

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #20 - September Nintendo Direct + Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 17 Sep 2025 13:00:00 +0000

It’s a 2-part episode of Purely Academic as we discuss the recent Nintendo Direct presentation – our first big event from Nintendo since the launch of the Switch 2 – before reviewing the biggest movie in the world right now: Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie – Infinity Castle. The first part of a trilogy adapting the final arc of Gotouge Koyoharu’s manga, it’s an incredible film, depicting three major battles across its 155-minute runtime, and executing on all of it at the same insanely high level we’ve come to expect from ufotable over the years. This is a movie with some of the most jaw-dropping animated spectacle you’ll ever see in a theater, but as always, its heart is with the characters, their backstories, and their interiority, and this film’s focus on the villain Akaza proves to be some of the most effective material in the life of the entire series. We talk about all of it and more, including the terrific vocal performances and killer soundtrack, as Kimetsu no Yaiba truly kicks off the beginning of the end.

Enjoy!

Time Chart

Nintendo Direct: 0:00:00 – 0:51:14

Demon Slayer: 0:51:14 – 3:14:36

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #19 - How I Spent My Summer Vacation: Dark Souls, Dexter, Donkey Kong & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 29 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Our August episode of Purely Academic is one of our busiest recordings to date, as Sean and Jonathan break down how they spent their summer vacations, and talk about the start of the new school year. Sean tells us about some of the legal insanity affecting education in Texas, while Jonathan explains why he created a bunch of feature-length anime fan edits for various classes he’s teaching this semester. We discuss a bunch of video games both old and new, from Donkey Kong Bananza and Mafia: The Old Country, to Sean falling down the Dark Souls rabbit hole again and Jonathan finding himself many hours into a new playthrough of the original Pokémon Blue. Jonathan also talks about binging the entire run of Showtime’s Dexter, and finally, Sean is up for The Monthly Ten, counting down the Top 10 podcast topics he would most dread doing.

Time Chart

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:50

News: 0:08:50 – 0:35:33

School Talk: 0:35:33 – 1:27:31

Jonathan’s Anime Edits: 1:27:31 – 1:48:20

Dexter: 1:48:20 – 2:16:53

Berserk & Dark Souls: 2:16:53 – 2:44:57

Pokémon Blue: 2:44:57 – 2:52:28

Donkey Kong Bananza: 2:52:28 – 3:01:57

Mafia: The Old Country: 3:01:57 – 3:17:06

The Monthly Ten: 3:17:06 – 3:40:13

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #18 - Reviewing Marvel’s THE FANTASTIC FOUR: FIRST STEPS

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 1 Aug 2025 13:00:00 +0000

After looking back over all the previous attempts to bring Marvel’s Fantastic Four to the big screen last month, we review the introduction to Marvel’s first family into the MCU: The Fantastic Four: First Steps, directed by Matt Shakman and starring Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, and Joseph Quinn. It’s easily the most these characters have ever been done justice on film, with great lead performances, excellent retro-futuristic production design, and a particularly fun second act in the depths of outer space. We discuss how the film could stand to take a few more risks and go a bit deeper with its characters and themes, as First Steps ultimately plays things safe in the way most Marvel movies do, but this is still the best film to come out of the MCU in a long time.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #17 - Reviewing James Gunn’s SUPERMAN (Spoiler Discussion)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:00:00 +0000

We’re back sooner than usual, with a special episode focused entirely on James Gunn’s SUPERMAN! The film is the official launch of the new DCU, but much more importantly, it’s an actual Superman movie, one that truly gets the character and his world in a way no live-action Superman film has in our lifetimes. Jonathan reviewed the film in writing last week at Fade to Lack, but we dive much deeper here with a full spoiler-filled discussion, breaking down all the characters, performances, themes, set pieces, and more! We have a few criticisms here and there, but for the most part agree this is a pretty wonderful superhero movie – and it’s truly awesome to finally have this much fun talking about Superman on a podcast.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #16 - Xbox Layoffs, Switch 2 Adventures, Indiana Jones, Andor & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 11 Jul 2025 14:00:00 +0000

For the July installment of ‘The Monthly Stuff,’ we break down the news of Xbox’s latest round of devastating layoffs, give fuller impressions of the Nintendo Switch 2 after a full month of play, and discuss recent games and TV shows we’ve experienced. Jonathan gives thoughts on Fast Fusion and Raidou Remastered, alongside continued impressions of Mario Kart World, while Sean talks about playing Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on the PS5, watchingUltraman Gaia, and the second season of Disney+’s acclaimed Star Wars series Andor. And for The Monthly Ten, Jonathan counts down the 10 craziest ideas for superhero movies he could think of. A fun time is had by all.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:35

News: 0:03:35 – 0:59:35

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle: 0:59:35 – 1:24:20

Switch 2 Adventures: 1:24:20 – 2:06:57

Ultraman Gaia: 2:06:57 – 2:20:09

Andor: 2:20:09 – 2:33:37

The Monthly Ten: 2:33:37 – 3:05:34

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #15 - Fantastic Four x Four: Reviewing Every Fantastic Four Movie

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:00:00 +0000

With Marvel’s ‘first family’ finally joining the Marvel Cinematic Universe next month in The Fantastic Four: First Steps, we thought it would be a good time to look back at the theatrical history of this extremely troubled franchise. There have been three attempts across four movies to make the Fantastic Four work on the silver screen, from the unreleased 1994 Roger Corman production, to the two Tim Story-directed films at 20th Century Fox in 2005 and 2007, to the ill-fated production of 2015’s Fant4stic, which might just be the worst superhero movie ever made. Some of these movies are better than their reputations suggest – the Tim Story films, with a charming cast and good sense of tone, are fine, if not particularly special – but on the whole, Hollywood has never known what to do with these characters, and surveying these 30 years of failed attempts to bring the Fantastic Four into the cinematic mainstream makes for a fun and fascinating conversation.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #14 - Nintendo Switch 2 First Impressions + Doctor Who Season 2 Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 13 Jun 2025 14:00:00 +0000

It’s a jam-packed ‘Monthly Stuff’ episode for June as we give our first impressions of the Nintendo Switch 2 at launch and react to the latest season of Doctor Who. First, Sean gives us his review of Doom: The Dark Ages, while Jonathan talks about watching the classic Takahata Isao anime Heidi, Girl of the Alps. Then we go through some not-E3 2025 news, including the announcement of a Persona 4 remake and Xbox’s first branded handheld, before diving into all things Nintendo Switch 2. Jonathan had the system for about 3 days before recording, and played a ton of games, from brand new experiences like Mario Kart World to upgraded classics like Breath of the Wild. There’s a lot to like here, and a lot to talk about. And finally, we break down what the hell happened with this year’s Doctor Who episodes, as the series fully melted down on its way to a surprise regeneration and desperate last-minute twist.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:22

Doom: The Dark Ages: 0:05:22 – 0:19:58

Heidi, Girl of the Alps: 0:19:58 – 0:40:53

Not-E3 2025 News: 0:40:53 – 1:20:36

Nintendo Switch 2 Impressions: 1:20:36 – 2:24:14

Doctor Who Season 2: 2:24:14 – 3:32:18

Monthly Ten: 3:32:18 – 3:55:24

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #13 - The DOOM Episode! Classic DOOM Retrospective!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 23 May 2025 13:00:00 +0000

Purely Academic continues its new format, with our second episode for May focusing on the month’s topic: In this case, we’re celebrating the release of DOOM: The Dark Ages with a retrospective on the original PC DOOM games from the 1990s. Over 30 years later, we still find the original DOOM and DOOM II utterly captivating, and we wanted to finally devote a podcast to discussing why they remain such great, singular staples of the first-person shooter genre. And if that wasn’t enough, we also decided to torture ourselves by watching the DOOM movie from 2005, starring Karl Urban and The Rock, which mostly has nothing to do with DOOM, but has one kinda-sorta interesting first-person sequence. It’s bad. But DOOM itself – the real DOOM – is anything but.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://japanimationstation.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #12 - Xbox Price Hikes, Assassin’s Creed Shadows, Outlandish Nintendo Switch 2 Accessories & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 9 May 2025 14:00:00 +0000

Purely Academic has a new format starting this month, where we’ll be releasing two episodes a month: One focused on a specific topic, and the other featuring all the other up-to-date variety of News, ‘Show n’ Tell,’ the Monthly Ten, and more! The latter, which we’re nostalgically calling ‘The Monthly Stuff,’ is what you’re listening to today, and it’s a busy one! There was some big video game news with Nintendo Switch 2 preorders and enormous Xbox price hikes; Sean has been playing some big PS5 games in Monster Hunter Wilds and Assassin’s Creed Shadows; and Jonathan is in charge of May’s ‘Monthly Ten,’ sharing with us 10 increasingly ridiculous ideas for Nintendo Switch 2 accessories that probably won’t happen, but would be very funny if they did.

Enjoy, and join us again in 2 weeks for May’s topic, which is all about the classic DOOM games from the 1990s!

Time Chart:

Intro & Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:17:40

News: 0:17:40 – 1:15:02

Thunderbolts: 1:15:02 – 1:28:37

Monster Hunter Wilds: 1:28:37 – 1:49:25

Forza Horizon 5 on PS5: 1:49:25 – 1:58:20

Assassin’s Creed Shadows: 1:58:20 – 2:35:15

The Monthly Ten: 2:35:15 – 3:00:59

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #11 – The Great Gatsby 100th Anniversary Celebration Spectacular

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0000

This month, we’re trying something new by releasing the individual segments once a week, to spread the mountain of content we recorded out over the whole month. And that continues with this month’s main topic, where our resident English teacher, Sean Chapman, assigned us a very important reading: F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, the Great American Novel turning the ripe old age of 100 this month! We discuss the novel itself, along with two of its cinematic adaptations – the 1974 film directed by Jack Clayton, and the 2013 film directed by Baz Luhrmann – and try to untangle why such an amazing book as never produced a halfway-decent movie.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #10 – The Top 10 Most Unlikely Gundam Creative Collaborations

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 13:55:00 +0000

This month, we’re trying something new by releasing the individual segments once a week, to spread the mountain of content we recorded out over the whole month. And that concludes with the month’s last segment, but certainly not its least: The Monthly Ten, the part of the show where Sean and Jonathan challenge each other to make increasingly ridiculous Top 10 lists. In this month’s installment, Jonathan tasked Sean with ranking the Top 10 most unlikely creative collaborations for the Mobile Suit Gundam franchise, in honor of the currently airing GQuuuuuuX, a partnership between Gundam creators Sunrise and the Neon Genesis Evangelion vets at Studio Khara. What Sean comes up with will surprise you, and maybe just make you wish to see some creative miracles unfold.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #9 – Pirate Yakuza, Daredevil, and Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 18 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0000

This month, we’re trying something new by releasing the individual segments once a week, to spread the mountain of content we recorded out over the whole month. And that continues with this week’s ‘Show n’ Tell’ segment, in which Sean and Jonathan discuss what they’ve been watching and playing over the last month. Sean talks about the new Like a Dragon game, Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, while Jonathan raves about belatedly catching up on Netflix’s Daredevil and watching the revival series, Born Again, on Disney+. Sean also reviews a classic anime, Studio Gainax’s Jules Verne-inspired Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water, and Jonathan gives final thoughts on Dynasty Warriors Origins.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #8 – Nintendo Switch 2 Unveiling Analysis: Price, Performance, and Uncertainty

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 11 Apr 2025 14:00:00 +0000

This month, we’re trying something new by releasing the individual segments once a week, to spread the mountain of content we recorded out over the whole month. And that begins with a super-sized news segment, in which we break down Nintendo’s official unveiling of the Nintendo Switch 2, an announcement met with simultaneous excitement, controversy, and uncertainty. The price, and the possibility that it might skyrocket thanks to a certain dumbass’ Tariff policy, was the biggest news, but the system also turned out to be a lot more powerful and performant than either of us were expecting – and the games revealed, from expected first-party titles like Mario Kart World to surprising third-party support like a brand new exclusive by FromSoftware, look very good. It gives us a lot to break down on this very busy episode!

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #7 – Listener Mail Extravaganza! Plus Dynasty Warriors, Shows That Should Copy Dragon Ball, & more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 7 Mar 2025 15:00:00 +0000

For March, we’ve put together a really fun grab-bag of an episode, including a topic segment where we answer a big pile of listener mail from our amazing audience members! Sean and I respond to your questions about our favorite directors, how we analyze art when preparing for podcasts, what we would program if we owned our own movie theater, and much more! In the News segment, we discuss the reveal of instant GOTY 2025 frontrunner Digimon Story Time Stranger, Microsoft’s stupid new Project Muse AI initiative, and the unfortunate closure of Monolith, the studio behind games like Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor. For our ‘Show n’ Tell,’ Sean talks about watching Ultraman Dyna, Jonathan reviews the Max original The Pitt and the new Yu-Gi-Oh! Early Days collection, and we continue discussing the insanely fun Dynasty Warriors Origins. Sean introduces a brand new segment to the podcast with Mr. Chapman’s Book Report, in which he tells us all about John Steinbeck’s East of Eden, and for The Monthly Ten, Jonathan counts down the top 10 TV shows that should take a cue from Dragon Ball Daima and transform their adult casts into children. It’s a wild one.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #6 - Citizen Kane, Dynasty Warrior Origins, and the Weirdest Anime ‘Ships

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 7 Feb 2025 15:00:00 +0000

It’s February, the month of love, and we’re celebrating it in style, first by talking about one of our most beloved (and oft-referenced) movies, Orson Welles’ 1941 masterpiece Citizen Kane, and then by having Sean count down the Top 10 Weirdest Anime ‘Ships he could think of, complete with original fan-fic excerpts for each and every one. We also pay tribute to David Lynch, a filmmaker both Sean and Jonathan loved dearly, after his passing at the age of 78 in January; talk about Nintendo’s first unveiling of the Switch 2 console; the rapidly approaching death of the Xbox brand with news of more key franchises going multiplatform; and give first impressions of Dynasty Warriors Origins on the PS5, which is absolutely incredible.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:25

News: 0:04:25 – 0:51:58

Show n’ Tell: 0:51:58 – 1:34:39

Topic (Citizen Kane): 1:34:39 – 2:52:47

The Monthly Ten: 2:52:47 – 3:25:18

Outro: 3:25:18 – 3:26:05

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #5 - The Top 10 Video Games of 2024

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 10 Jan 2025 15:00:00 +0000

For our first episode of 2025, we take a look back at the very best in video games from 2024, with Sean and Jonathan both presenting their picks for the 10 greatest video games of the year, a diverse collection of titles including several games we’ve never discussed on the show before! In our Show n’ Tell segment, Jonathan talks about his adventures graduating, moving, and preparing for a new job, Sean talks about watching old Gamera movies and Ultraman Tiga, and we review the Doctor Who Christmas Special, “Joy to the World.” And finally, for The Monthly Ten, Sean challenged Jonathan to rank the 10 best years in human history divisible by the number five, but Jonathan had a slightly different take on the assignment.

Enjoy, and come back in February when, after years of mentioning it over and over again on the podcast, we finally devote an entire episode to Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane. It’s going to be highly educational.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:15:32

Show n’ Tell: 0:15:32 – 1:25:28

Topic (Top 10 Games of 2024): 1:25:28 – 4:29:15

The Monthly Ten: 4:29:15 – 4:41:27

Outro: 4:41:27 – 4:43:45

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

BONUS - The Top 10 Films of 2024 with Jonathan Lack

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 31 Dec 2024 02:00:00 +0000

In this special bonus episode, Jonathan Lack counts down the Top 10 Films of 2024!

You can read the text of this episode, and see links to full reviews of every film discussed, at https://www.jonathanlack.com/p/the-top-10-films-of-2024

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:38

Honorable Mentions: 0:02:38 – 0:10:54

#10: 0:10:54 – 0:16:12

#9: 0:16:12 – 0:20:22

#8: 0:20:22 – 0:24:53

#7: 0:24:53 – 0:29:36

#6: 0:29:36 – 0:33:12

#5: 0:33:12 – 0:37:51

#4: 0:37:51 – 0:41:35

#3: 0:41:35 – 0:46:02

#2: 0:46:02 – 0:49:51

#1: 0:49:51 – 0:56:57

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #4 – Reviewing Metaphor ReFantazio and Learning the True Meaning of Christmas

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 6 Dec 2024 15:00:00 +0000

For our December episode, we go deep with Atlus’ outstanding new JRPG, Metaphor: ReFantazio. Like Persona 5, the team’s previous game, this is a work deeply involved in the political and existential questions of our present time, and gives us a lot to chew on as we break down what is easily one of 2024’s best games. In our Show n’ Tell segment, Sean gives his first impressions on Sony’s PS5 Pro and the range of games upgraded to work on it, Jonathan reviews Square Enix’s incredible Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake, and special guest Thomas Lack gives his thoughts on Dragon Age: The Veilguard. Thomas sticks around to play a special, very silly game celebrating the music of Atlus’ video game library – particularly those songs by rapper extraordinaire Lotus Juice – and for The Monthly Ten, Sean ranks the Top 10 Media that Most Embody Christmas, helping us to learn the true meaning of the season.

Enjoy, and we’ll be see you in the new year when we count down the Top 10 Video Games of 2024. What kinds of things do you think we’re going to learn next time?

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:12:11

Show n’ Tell: 0:12:11 – 1:33:03

Topic (Metaphor): 1:33:03 – 3:12:05

Game Time: 3:12:05 – 3:31:10

The Monthly Ten: 3:31:10 – 3:58:51

Outro: 3:58:51 – 4:00:23

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #3 – Gamera Heisei Trilogy, Metaphor ReFantazio Impressions, and Sean’s Best Birthday Gifts

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 8 Nov 2024 15:00:00 +0000

It’s our busiest episode yet, with a giant six-hour extravaganza to get you through the month of November. Our main topic concerns the Gamera Heisei trilogy from the 1990s; directed by Kaneko Shusuke with special effects by Higuchi Shinji, these movies are towering classics of the Kaiju genre, and secretly some of the greatest superhero films ever made – and they’re very fun to talk about. For the news segment, we discuss 343 Industries becoming Halo Studios and speculate about the future of the franchise; talk about the end of Firewalk, the studio behind Sony’s massive bomb Firewalk; laugh about the bizarre state of Disney’s Star Wars movies, and question what the hell is up at Warner Bros. In the Show n’ Tell section, we give our first impressions on Atlus’ amazing new JRPG Metaphor ReFantazio, alongside thoughts on Dragon Ball Sparking! Zero and Sonic x Shadow Generations, and take a trip to Sean’s Beta Corner to discuss Monster Hunter Wilds. We debut a brand new segment, Hey, Listen!, in which Jonathan tries to explain what ‘Brat Summer’ is/was to a very confused Sean, and for The Monthly Ten, Jonathan ranks the 10 absolute best gifts we could get Sean for his birthday this month.

So yes – it’s a busy, silly, very fun episode. And we know it’s coming at a not particularly fun or silly time for America and the world, so Jonathan recorded an extra message at the top of the show reflecting on this week’s events.

Enjoy, and we’ll be back next month to dive much deeper with Metaphor ReFantazio, in the grand tradition of our long Persona spoiler-casts. What kinds of things do you think we’re going to learn next time?

Time Chart:

A Few Words from Jonathan: 0:00:00 – 0:19:19

Intro: 0:19:19 – 0:40:13

News: 0:40:13 – 1:52:12

Show n’ Tell: 1:52:12 – 2:57:27

Topic (Gamera): 2:57:27 – 5:30:08

Hey, Listen: 5:30:08 – 5:41:14

The Monthly Ten: 5:41:14 – 6:03:22

Outro: 6:03:22 – 6:04:21

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #2 - Halloween Trilogy, Astro Bot, PS5 Pro, Nihilistic Anime & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 11 Oct 2024 14:00:00 +0000

For the October installment of Purely Academic, Jonathan and Sean embrace the spooky season by talking Halloween – specifically, the recent Halloween reboot/sequel trilogy directed by David Gordon Green and starring Jamie Lee Curtis, with the hosts debating whether these films are muddled messes or interesting revisionist takes on the slasher genre. We break down some recent News, including Sony’s controversial unveiling of the PS5 Pro, several new game announcements including Ghost of Yōtei and Like a Dragon: Pirate Yakuza in Hawaii, and news of Kyoto Animation making an exciting new film and TV series in 2025. In our ‘Show ‘n Tell’ segment, we discuss what we’ve been playing and watching recently, with Jonathan talking about the terrible new Joker movie, his experiences at the Denver Silent Film Festival, and finally finishing Tsukihime: A Piece of Blue Glass Moon, while Sean shares his thoughts on the 5.0 update of Genshin Impact, and we both discuss the outstanding new PS5 game Astro Bot. And finally, in the ‘Monthly Ten’ segment, Sean is challenged by Jonathan to rank the Top 10 Anime That Aren’t About the Power of Friendship.

Enjoy, and we’ll be back next month for an exciting episode reviewing the Heisei-era Gamera trilogy, a series of classic Kaiju films we’ve been promising to discuss for years now. What kinds of things do you think we’re going to learn next time?

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:13:20

News: 0:13:20 – 1:03:07

Show n’ Tell: 1:03:07 – 2:22:27

Topic (Halloween!): 2:22:27 – 3:56:06

The Monthly Ten: 3:56:06 – 4:14:20

Outro: 4:14:20 – 4:16:56

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Purely Academic #1 - Series Premiere! Introducing Ourselves and the New Podcast!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 6 Sep 2024 14:00:00 +0000

For the first episode of this new incarnation of the podcast, Jonathan and Sean introduce (or reintroduce) themselves to listeners by interviewing each other, with a mix of questions equal parts insightful and ridiculous. Then for our first ‘Show ‘n Tell’ segment, we discuss what we’ve been playing and watching recently, with Sean discussing HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero and his ongoing adventures with Ultraman, while Jonathan shares his thoughts on the recently localized Tsukihime remake and what it was like seeing a LiSA concert film in an American theater. And finally, for the debut of our new ‘Monthly Ten’ segment, Jonathan ranks the 10 best episodes of our previous podcast, The Weekly Stuff, and challenges Sean to make a very strange top 10 list for next month.

Enjoy, and we’ll be back Friday, October 4th for an exciting episode reviewing the recent David Gordon Green Halloween trilogy. What kinds of things do you think we’re going to learn next time?

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:15

Topic – (re)Introducing Ourselves: 0:07:15 – 1:58:33

Show n’ Tell – Zenless Zone Zero, Tsukihime, Ultraman 80 & More: 1:58:33 – 2:40:45

The Monthly Ten: 2:40:45 – 3:02:14

Outro: 3:02:14 – 3:04:54

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

UPDATES! Fade to Lack Subscriptions & New Podcast Premiere Date!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Aug 2024 14:00:00 +0000

The Weekly Stuff Podcast may be dead, but that doesn't mean we are! Sean and Jonathan are here for a quick update to remind you that we're working on the next incarnation of the show behind the scenes, and announcing its premiere in September! Jonathan also tells you all about the new subscriptions at his site, www.JonathanLack.com, where you can get weekly classic film reviews and more! There is a lot of exciting stuff coming from us in the final months of 2024, including the end of Japanimation Station Season 4, and in this short check-in, we tell you what to expect and when.

Read all of Jonathan's past and future writing at Fade to Lack https://www.jonathanlack.com

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #500 - Our Top 10 Favorite Anime Ending Themes & Doctor Who S14E7-8 Reviews

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 25 Jun 2024 05:00:00 +0000

For our 500th episode, we’ve prepared one of the biggest and best podcasts we’ve ever made. Following up on episode 499, where we counted down our favorite anime opening themes, our main topic today is our Top 10 Favorite Anime Ending Themes, and this one is even more exciting, with endings from shows like Dragon Ball, Haruhi Suzumiya, multiple Gundam shows, Clannad, and more tugging at our heartstrings and contributing massively to our connection with each of these great shows. Sean and Jonathan also talk about playing the Persona and Like a Dragon games the other person was playing a few months ago, recap this week’s surprisingly packed Nintendo Direct, and review the final episodes of the new Doctor Who season, “The Legend of Ruby Sunday” and “Empire of Death.” There’s also a very exciting surprise announcement about the future of the podcast, and our in-house composer Thomas Lack has not only helped us produce a spectacular opening song, but written a brand new anime-style end theme for The Weekly Stuff itself you’ll get to see at the end of the show!

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:02:57

Intro: 0:02:57 – 0:12:19

Stuff: 0:12:19 – 1:18:45

Nintendo Direct News: 1:18:45 – 1:48:17

Top 10 Anime Endings: 1:48:17 – 4:55:00

Special Announcement: 4:55:00 – 5:04:14

Doctor Who Finale: 5:04:14 – 5:56:59

Final Thoughts: 5:56:59 – 6:46:56

Ending Theme: 6:46:56 – 6:50:34

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #499 - Our Top 10 Favorite Anime Opening Themes & Doctor Who S14E5-6 Reviews

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Jun 2024 22:00:00 +0000

This month, The Weekly Stuff Podcast is reaching its 500th episode, and we’re celebrating with two massive episodes counting down our Top 10 Favorite Anime Opening & Ending Themes. The former is the main topic of today’s show, as Sean and Jonathan share their respective 10 favorite Anime Openings, from obvious favorites like Dragon Ball Z andNeon Genesis Evangelion, to deeper cuts including Maison Ikkoku and Patlabor. It’s an extremely fun countdown, with a few big surprises along the way, and it’s only one part of this massive, 5-hour episode! We also review the latest two episodes of Doctor Who, “Dot and Bubble” and “Rogue,” talk about recent games we’ve been playing and movies we’ve been watching, and break down a bit of news from the Xbox event at Not-E3 2024.

Enjoy, and be sure to come back in two weeks for our landmark 500th episode, where we’ll be counting down the Top 10 Anime Endings, reviewing the Doctor Who season finale, and making a big announcement about the future of the podcast!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:30

Stuff: 0:07:30– 0:57:34

Not-E3 2024 News: 0:57:34 – 1:20:22

Our Top 10 Anime Openings: 1:20:22 – 4:23:52

Doctor Who S14E5-6: 4:23:52 – 5:16:09

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #498 - The Final Fantasy VII Rebirth Episode (& Doctor Who S14E3-4)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 28 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000

After many months and hundreds of hours of play, Sean and Jonathan have finally both finished Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, the second installment in Square Enix’s remake trilogy, and … we didn’t really like it. So today, we’re going to tell you why, diving into a game that starts out promising but turns out to be a very flat, frequently frustrating, extraordinarily long experience that ends with an unbelievably frustrating series of narrative decisions. We also review the latest episodes of Doctor Who – “Boom” and “73 Yards” – and talk a little bit about Furiosa and some recent books we’ve been reading.

Enjoy, and be sure to listen to the end to hear all about our big plans for the very special episodes 499 and 500!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:26

Stuff: 0:05:26 – 0:34:52

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: 0:34:52 – 2:43:04

Doctor Who: 2:43:04 – 3:23:07

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #497 - Doctor Who Season Premiere & Xbox Studio Closures

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 14 May 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Doctor Who returned this week for its new season (Series 14, Season 1, or Season 40, depending on who you ask), the first full run starring Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor and Millie Gibson as companion Ruby Sunday. And the first two episodes were a ton of fun, particularly the formally off-the-wall “The Devil’s Chord,” which proves returning showrunner Russell T Davies is taking the show in a very different direction than anything we’ve seen before! But before that, we have to talk about the awful news from Xbox, where we learned Microsoft’s game division is closing two beloved studios: Tango Gameworks and Arkane Austin. It continues a terrible trend from Xbox that keeps pushing the console maker in worse and worse directions, the culmination of a long series of frustrations we’ve been tracing for most of the lifespan of this podcast.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:58

Stuff: 0:06:58 – 0:24:18

Xbox News: 0:24:18 – 1:06:27

Doctor Who Reviews: 1:06:27 – 2:37:19

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #496 - Jonathan’s Criterion Essay, Berserk, Final Fantasy VII Rebirth & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 30 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Jonathan had a very exciting week as The Criterion Collection published an essay he wrote on Makoto Shinkai, thus checking off a major bucket list item, while Sean had an extremely boring week administering standardized tests to high schoolers and showing them the 2011 animated not-a-classic, Gnomeo & Juliet. We talk about both of those experiences, share some more thoughts on Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, and finally hear Jonathan gush about the 1997 Berserk anime, now on Blu-ray from Discotek, which we will definitely have to do an episode on in the future.

Enjoy!

Read Jonathan’s Criterion essay here - https://www.criterion.com/current/posts/8453-thoughts-transcending-time-and-distance-makoto-shinkai-s-voices-of-a-distant-star

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #495 - Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Analogue Pocket, Ripley, and Anime Galore

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 16 Apr 2024 05:00:00 +0000

In one of the grab-baggiest grab bag episodes we’ve ever recorded, Sean reviews a bunch of anime including Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End, Solo Leveling, and The Dangers in My Heart, and talks about playing through all the DLC forDragon Ball Z: Kakarot; Jonathan gives his thoughts on Netflix’s outstanding new drama Ripley and talks about finally getting his hands on the premium Game Boy device, the Analogue Pocket; and finally, we both give our initial impressions of Final Fantasy VII Rebirth, Sean after playing the first few hours, Jonathan after playing the first 40 hours, but neither of us anywhere near completing this mammoth second chapter of the Remake project.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Into & Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:06:02

Talkin’ Anime: 0:06:02 – 0:48:53

Talkin’ Ripley & Netflix: 0:48:53 – 1:11:17

Dragon Ball Z Kakarot DLC: 1:11:17 – 1:31:36

Analogue Pocket: 1:31:36 – 1:58:58

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth: 1:58:58 – 2:57:00

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #494 - PS5 Pro, Persona 3 Reload, Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 26 Mar 2024 05:10:00 +0000

We’re back with a jam-packed episode covering lots of games, anime, and more! Sean and Jonathan have finally finished the massive 100-hour JRPGs both have been playing – Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth and Persona 3 Reload – and give final reports on both of those. But we also discuss the leaked specs for Sony’s upcoming PS5 Pro, discuss the new Sand Land anime based on the manga by Akira Toriyama, hear travel stories from Jonathan about a recent trip to Boston, and get details from Sean on his latest Ultraman adventures!

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Into & Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:06:27

Stuff: 0:06:27 – 0:57:56

PS5 Pro News: 0:57:56 – 1:25:44

Persona 3 Reload: 1:25:44 – 1:58:16

Like a Dragon Infinite Wealth: 1:58:16 – 2:23:24

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #493 - Remembering Akira Toriyama & Ranking Dragon Ball Story Arcs

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 05:00:00 +0000

Akira Toriyama, creator of Dragon Ball and Dr. Slump, and illustrator of the Dragon Quest franchise, passed away this week at the age of 68. His influence on our lives, like those of millions around the world, has been incalculable, so we’re devoting today’s entire show to discussing his incredible body of work and the way it changed anime, manga, video games, and global popular culture. We discuss how we first discovered Dragon Ball, why he was such a peerless mangaka, read some of the statements that have poured in from other manga authors and Dragon Ball collaborators, and respond to some listener comments. And after that, we bring back a segment from 2022 in which Sean and Jonathan rank all the story arcs in the Dragon Ball franchise, giving us a chance to dive into and celebrate his most famous work.

Enjoy.

Time Chart:

Remembering Akira Toriyama: 0:00:00 – 2:12:07

Ranking Dragon Ball Story Arcs: 2:12:07 – 3:10:45

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #492 - The Future of Xbox, Fantastic Four, Persona, Like a Dragon & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 20 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

After weeks of breathless speculation, Xbox unveiled some relatively minor details about the multiplatform future vision of the brand, which prompts us to have an in-depth conversation about where Xbox is going and why the current strategy feels at odds with their oft-stated long-term goals. We also discuss Marvel’s unveiling of their new Fantastic Four cast, Jonathan talks about watching Solo Leveling and playing Modern Warfare III, and we conclude with a check-in on the giant JRPGs we’re both playing, Persona 3 Reload and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:43

Stuff: 0:07:43 – 0:24:34

Fantastic Four News: 0:24:34 – 0:45:21

Xbox & Gaming News: 0:45:21 – 1:35:20

Persona: 1:35:20 – 1:46:32

Like a Dragon: 1:46:32 – 2:10:51

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #491 - Our Top 10 Favorite Superhero Movies!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 13 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Superhero movies are quickly becoming a dead genre in Hollywood, as evidenced by this weekend’s coldly-unanticipated release of Madame Web, so we thought we’d bid the genre the farewell it deserves by recycling a segment from our 10th Anniversary Podcast in 2022, where we counted down each of our 10 favorite superhero movies of all time! Though this was recorded a year-and-a-half ago, almost nothing of note in the genre has come out since, so this still more or less reflects our general thoughts, and can serve as a nice auditory headstone over the grave of superhero cinema. These were the good ones, and we may never see their like again.

Enjoy!

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #490 - Persona 3 Reload & Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth Impressions & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 6 Feb 2024 06:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is wall-to-wall packed with exciting stuff, as we give first impressions on Persona 3 Reload and Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, Jonathan explains why you should avoid Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown, Sean dips his toes in Palworld, and we discuss some anime we caught up on over winter break including Spy x Family and One Piece. We also dive into recent news including the catastrophic series of video game industry layoffs throughout January and, more happily, the announcement of the original Fate/stay night visual novel finally being localized in English later this year.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro/Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:16:26

Talkin’ Anime: 0:16:26 – 0:52:41

Talkin’ Tolkien: 0:52:41 – 1:01:04

News: 1:01:04 – 1:30:11

Fate/Samurai Remnant: 1:30:11 – 1:41:19

Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown: 1:41:19 – 1:58:01

Palworld: 1:58:01 – 2:05:11

Persona 3 Reload: 2:05:11 – 2:28:50

Like a Dragon: 2:28:50 – 3:05:35

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #489 - Reviewing Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade Stage Play

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 30 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

This Friday sees the release of Persona 3 Reload, the remake of one of our very favorite video games ever made, and to celebrate, we’re resurrecting a segment from our 10th Anniversary Podcast in 2022, where Sean, Jonathan, and special guest star Occasional Thomas watched and reviewed the first part of Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade, the stage play adaptation of the game from 2014. “Weird” is definitely the operative word here, as this is a very quirky theatrical (and musical!) adaptation of an already bizarre game, but it makes for a very interesting conversation, one we’re excited to present as a standalone episode for the first time!

Enjoy!

Link to Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade YouTube Fansubs - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiy1WLTm7y8wFxkRdzycpHRZ0QNNYnkUX&si=gn2ZCs5qrKeDVCfQ

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #488 - The Top 10 Video Games of 2023

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 9 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The time has come, once again: Sean and Jonathan are here to count down the Top 10 Video Games of 2023, in what was one of the most densely packed years for great games we’ve experienced in a long time. Both hosts present their own Top 10 lists, recapping some games we’ve sung the praises of before – like Resident Evil 4, Street Fighter 6, and Final Fantasy XVI – and discussing some surprise entries we haven’t mentioned until now. It’s a really fun episode that highlights just how many great experiences we had in the world of video games this year, and leaves us refreshed and excited for what’s to come in 2024!

Enjoy!

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #487 - Doctor Who Christmas Special 2023 Review & Year-end Catch-up!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 2 Jan 2024 06:00:00 +0000

The New Year and the THIRTEENTH SEASON of The Weekly Stuff Podcast (whoa!) begins with a lot of catch-up on what we’ve been doing over the holidays – playing Alan Wake II and Pokémon, watching anime, and more – and our review of the Doctor Who Christmas special, “The Church on Ruby Road.” Introducing us to Ncuti Gatwa as the Fifteenth Doctor and Millie Gibson as new companion Ruby Sunday, this Christmas-day extravaganza was a blast, with amazing creature effects, outstanding performances, and a full-blown musical number. It’s a great way to ring out 2023, kick off 2024, and start a new year of the podcast!

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:46

Sean’s Remedy Adventures: 0:09:46 – 0:39:53

Jonathan’s Stuff & Anime Talk: 0:39:53 – 1:07:36

Doctor Who: 1:07:36 – 2:13:24

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Top 10 Films of 2023 with Jonathan Lack - Bonus Episode!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 27 Dec 2023 16:43:27 +0000

In this special bonus episode, Jonathan Lack counts down the Top 10 Films of 2023!

You can read the text of this episode, and see links to full reviews of every film discussed, at https://www.jonathanlack.com/p/the-top-10-films-of-2023

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:03:18

Leftovers: 0:03:18 - 0:05:01

Honorable Mentions (#20-#11): 0:05:01 - 0:17:29

#10: 0:17:29 - 0:19:57

#9: 0:19:57 - 0:22:23

#8: 0:22:23 - 0:25:11

#7: 0:25:11 - 0:27:48

#6: 0:27:48 - 0:34:40

#5: 0:34:40 - 0:36:52

#4: 0:36:52 - 0:39:30

#3: 0:39:30 - 0:41:54

#2: 0:41:54 - 0:44:16

#1: 0:44:16 - 0:48:59

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms: https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content! https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #486 - Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Special 3 – “The Giggle” Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 12 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The 60th anniversary mini-season of Doctor Who has come to a rousing and surprising close with “The Giggle,” with David Tennant and Catherine Tate facing down Neil Patrick Harris as the Toymaker, and the expected regeneration into Ncuti Gatwa going in some unexpected directions. It’s a fantastic episode of Doctor Who that makes the most of its very big swings, and gives us a lot to talk about as we break down how this episode both serves as something of a ‘series finale’ for modern Who while launching a bold new era to come. Sean talks about playing Alan Wake Remastered, we discuss the Grand Theft Auto VI trailer, and Jonathan briefly discusses Hayao Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron – you can read his review at JonathanLack.Com – before diving into the Doctor Who spoilers.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:35:33

Doctor Who, “The Giggle”: 0:35:33 – 2:31:25

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #485 - Godzilla Minus One & Doctor Who Special 2 Reviews

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 5 Dec 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Godzilla Minus One & Doctor Who Special 2 Reviews | The Weekly Stuff Podcast #485

It’s a very enthusiastic week here on the podcast as we not only get to talk about another great new Doctor Who episode, but an even greater new Godzilla movie! The first live-action Godzilla film by Toho in seven years, Godzilla Minus One is of the finest films in the franchise’s 70-year-history, a rousing period piece with phenomenal special effects and even more impressive human drama. We talk about it at length, and then move on to discussing this week’s Doctor Who, “Wild Blue Yonder,”the second 60th anniversary special! It’s a wonderfully weird and very creepy story, performed beautifully by David Tennant and Catherine Tate, and gives us a lot to chew on. Discussion of Baldur’s Gate 3, Star Wars: Ahsoka, and Super Mario RPG round out the episode!

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:40:32

Godzilla Minus One: 0:40:32 – 1:57:43

Doctor Who, “Wild Blue Yonder”: 1:57:43 – 2:44:38

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #484 - Doctor Who 60th Anniversary Spectacular & “The Star Beast” Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 28 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Doctor Who is back! Both in the sense that we got our first new episode in over a year this weekend, and, more importantly, in the sense that we got our first new good episode since 2017! This week marked the 60th anniversary of our favorite TV show here at The Weekly Stuff Podcast, and brought with it the first in a series of specials reuniting David Tennant and Catherine Tate, writer/showrunner Russell T Davies, composer Murray Gold, and more, and the resulting episode, “The Star Beast,” is indeed a cracking good time, and a tremendous return-to-form after the Dark Ages ushered in by Chris Chibnall since 2018. Sean talks about finally catching up with the end of the Chibnall/Jodie Whittaker run at the top of today’s show, then we talk about some our favorite stories we’ve been revisiting for the 60th anniversary, and finally we’ve got a spoiler-filled review of “The Star Beast.”

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:06

The Sad, Pathetic End of Chibnall’s Doctor Who: 0:10:06 – 1:12:21

Doctor Who 60th Talk: 1:12:21 – 1:45:27

“The Star Beast” Review: 1:45:27 – 3:18:31

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Thanksgiving Bonus! Reading 5 Reviews from 200 Reviews by Jonathan Lack

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 23 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Happy Thanksgiving one and all! While the main podcast is off this week, we still wanted to give you something to show our gratitude for another great year, so Jonathan busted out a microphone, broke open a copy of his new book, 200 Reviews – available now on Amazon! – and read 5 reviews as requested by listeners! The ones chosen were Quentin Tarantino’s Death Proof, the latest Fast & Furious film Fast X, Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather Part III, Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, and David Lynch’s Twin Peaks: The Return. Jonathan reads all of those and gives some insight into the book on this special Thanksgiving bonus episode!

Enjoy, and come back Monday for a big Doctor Who 60th anniversary extravaganza!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:12:00

Death Proof: 0:12:00 – 0:18:49

Fast X: 0:18:49 – 0:30:14

Godfather III: 0:30:14 – 0:42:17

Nausicaa: 0:42:17 – 0:48:36

Twin Peaks: 0:48:36 – 1:01:20

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #483 - Spider-Man 2 Spoiler Review, Super Mario Wonder, Doctor Who & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 14 Nov 2023 06:00:00 +0000

It’s a giant episode with many topics today, led by an in-depth discussion of Insomniac’s fantastic Spider-Man 2 for the PS5. We break down the gameplay and story in spoiler-filled detail at the end of today’s show, mostly praising it but also debating whether or not the controversial MJ missions are bad – please take to social media and use #JonathanWasRight (they suck) or #SeanWasRight (they’re great and there should be more) to sound off. Jonathan also gives final thoughts on Super Mario Bros. Wonder for Nintendo Switch, Sean shares more thoughts on Baldur’s Gate 3, we talk some major Hollywood news including Marvel’s latest misfire and the end of the SAG-AFTRA strike, and we spend more time than we have in a long while talking about our favorite show, Doctor Who, as we both find ourselves watching through parts of the series in advance of this month’s 60th anniversary specials.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:35

Baldur’s Gate 3: 0:04:35 – 0:08:55

Doctor Who: 0:08:55 – 0:57:52

News: 0:57:52 – 1:40:28

Super Mario Wonder: 1:40:28 – 1:49:22

Spider-Man 2: 1:49:22 – 3:15:52

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #482 - The Rob Zombie’s HALLOWEEN Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 31 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Happy Halloween! Last year, we celebrated the spookiest day of the year by talking about John Carpenter’s original HALLOWEEN from 1978, and this year we’re jumping ahead 30 years to talk about the remake directed by Rob Zombie in 2007, and its sequel from 2009. These films have a mixed reputation, but they’re worth revisiting and taking seriously. The 2007 remake is trying to be two movies at once and never really coheres, but the 2009 sequel – especially in its Unrated Director’s Cut – may just be a genuine masterpiece, a truly powerful depiction of PTSD and the way trauma can swallow a person whole. Zombie is a real auteur, a singular filmmaker with a compelling voice, and these films are worth engaging with on that level alone. We also talk about Sean’s recent experiences catching up on Doctor Who and Jonathan’s October adventures binging all 10 Saw movies (and ranking them over on JonathanLack.Com).

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:30

Doctor Who: 0:04:30 – 0:25:07

Saw: 0:25:07 – 0:40:16

Rob Zombie’s Halloween: 0:40:16 – 1:29:29

Rob Zombie’s Halloween II: 1:29:29 – 2:46:13

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #481 - Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 & Super Mario Bros. Wonder First Impressions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 24 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Two of the most anticipated video games of 2023 launched this week, with Sony and Insomniac’s Spider-Man 2 for the PS5 and Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros. Wonder for the Nintendo Switch. We’ve been extremely excited for both, and so far, they haven’t disappointed. We give initial spoiler-free impressions of both games on today’s show, discussing how Mario Wonder delivers a deliriously fun re-invention of 2D Mario platformers and Spider-Man 2 serves as both a compulsively playable superhero game and the PS5’s best tech demo to date. Sean also talks about finally diving into Baldur’s Gate 3, and we remind everyone to listen to Japanimation Station’s Kyoto Vacation,the amazing new season of our anime podcast that just launched last week!

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:13

Baldur’s Gate 3: 0:06:13 – 0:24:43

Super Mario Bros. Wonder: 0:24:43 – 0:48:58

Spider-Man 2: 0:48:58 – 1:21:00

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #480 - Japanimation Station’s Kyoto Vacation Preview: The History of Kyoto Animation

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 18 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The fourth season of our sister series, Japanimation Station, begins today with the premiere of Japanimation Station’s Kyoto Vacation, our biggest podcasting adventure yet! We are taking a journey through the works of Kyoto Animation, one of the most respected and beloved anime studios in Japan, reviewing shows like Clannad, The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya, K-On!, Nichijou, Sound! Euphonium, Violet Evergarden, and much more. But before we talk about any specific works, we take a step back and discuss the history of Kyoto Animation itself, because it’s a fascinating story stretching back to the earliest days of anime, and one that explains a lot about how the studio came to have the style and structure it is known and respected for. Even if you’ve never watched one of these shows before, this is a story you’ll definitely want to hear, and a great way to kick off our Kyoto Vacation.

Enjoy, and be sure to subscribe to Japanimation Station to continue following the season as it continues for many weeks to come!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:56

Theme Song: 0:02:56 – 0:04:25

Intro and Preview to Season: 0:04:25 – 0:40:31

Eyecatch Break: 0:40:31 – 0:41:07

The History of Kyoto Animation: 0:41:07 – 1:57:08

End Theme: 1:57:08 – 1:58:11

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Read the book 200 Reviews by Jonathan R. Lack in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #479 - 200 Reviews: Discussing & Reading From the New Book by Jonathan Lack

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 10 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is all about 200 Reviews, the new book by co-host Jonathan Lack, which contains, well, 200 reviews, mostly of movies, but also some TV and video games, some that have been seen before, and many that haven’t. You can buy the book now in paperback, for Amazon Kindle, and as a digital bundle with PDF and EPUB versions. We tell you all about it on today’s episode, with Sean interviewing Jonathan about the book’s contents, and Jonathan reading eight excerpts from the book, including reviews for The Lord of the Rings, Spider-Man 2, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, and more! We also take a look at Jonathan’s earliest-ever reviews, from when he was just ten years old, in one of the funnier segments we’ve ever recorded.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:00:30

Discussing 200 Reviews: 0:00:30 – 1:12:36

Barbie: 1:12:36 – 1:21:34

Cats: 1:21:34 – 1:38:13

A Christmas Carol: 1:38:13 – 1:45:20

The Grand Budapest Hotel: 1:45:20 – 1:55:40

The Lord of the Rings: 1:55:40 – 2:03:34

Spider-Man 2: 2:03:34 – 2:09:24

Star Trek Into Darkness: 2:09:24 – 2:27:19

Star Wars Episode III: 2:27:19 – 2:41:01

Outro: 2:41:01 – 2:41:41

Buy 200 Reviews in Paperback on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CKMPX2CK

Buy 200 Reviews for Kindle on Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CK68K3WG

Buy 200 Reviews as an EPUB/PDF bundle at Ko-fi – https://ko-fi.com/s/07bc1a2b39

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #478 - Resident Evil 4 Separate Ways, WGA & Xbox News, and Jonathan’s New Book!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 3 Oct 2023 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a big week with lots of news here at the Weekly Stuff, including Jonathan’s announcement of his new book, 200 Reviews, which releases this Sunday! He tells you a little bit about it on today’s show (and you can pre-order it on Amazon now for Kindle, with a paperback version coming soon!), and we’ll discuss it more next week. On today’s show, we discuss the triumphant end of the writer’s strike, lots of Xbox news courtesy of a historic document leak, and review Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 DLC, Separate Ways, an outstanding extension of a wonderful game that leaves us wanting more from Ada Wong and her awesome grappling hook.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:07

Jonathan’s Book, 200 Reviews: 0:01:07 – 0:11:25

Stuff: 0:11:25 – 0:28:53

News: 0:28:53 – 1:36:25

Separate Ways: 1:36:25 – 1:56:15

Pre-order 200 Reviews by Jonathan Lack https://a.co/d/efTM4zp

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #477 - Baldur’s Gate 3, Video Game News, Listener Mail & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 19 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

It’s an exciting grab-bag of topics this weeks as we discuss some recent video game news from Sony and Nintendo, dive into a big ol’ bag of listener mail, and talk more about two of our favorite games of the year with Baldur’s Gate 3 and Armored Core VI. A surprise Nintendo Direct and Sony State of Play give us plenty of video game announcements and trailers to talk about, including our best look yet at Final Fantasy VII Rebirth and an absolute avalanche of Mario games from Nintendo, including the long-requested remake of Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door. Then we answer some questions sent in by listeners, including thoughts on what movies/shows/games our opinions have most changed on over the years, the state of superhero movies and DC in particular, our favorite live music experiences, and much, much more.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:21

Armored Core VI: 0:01:21 – 0:06:13

Baldur’s Gate 3: 0:06:13 – 0:30:48

Video Game News: 0:30:48 – 1:27:53

Listener Mail: 1:27:53 – 2:47:13

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #476 - Reviewing Justified: City Primeval & Final Fantasy XVI

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a double-header on today’s podcast as we review two very different things from this summer that we both love passionately: FX’s Justified: City Primeval, the sequel miniseries to the modern neo-western classic starring Timothy Olyphant, and Square Enix’s Final Fantasy XVI, the latest and among-the-greatest entry in the venerable JRPG series. Justified is one of our favorite TV series, and the return absolutely did not disappoint, putting Raylan Givens in a new setting and telling a new kind of story with him, while continuing his character development in really smart, thoughtful ways. Final Fantasy XVI is one of the year’s best games, but also perhaps one of its most misunderstood, and in this discussion, we mainly break down the story and themes and why so much of what it’s doing has been dismissed in Western reviews and thinkpieces.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:25

Armored Core VI: 0:02:25 – 0:17:47

Baldur’s Gate 3: 0:17:47 – 0:23:56

Justified City Primeval: 0:23:56 – 1:46:05

Final Fantasy XVI: 1:46:05 – 3:05:56

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #475 - Armored Core VI, Genshin Impact 4.0, Jonathan’s Sword Art Online Adventures & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 29 Aug 2023 05:00:00 +0000

We’re back after a month away with a “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” catch-up episode, and it’s quite the grab bag! Sean gives impressions of some recent video games including Armored Core VI and the 4.0 Fontaine update of Genshin Impact, while Jonathan tells us about unexpectedly becoming a fan of Sword Art Online while researching his dissertation, and walks us through the giant stack of movies he watched over the last week of summer, from a few Michael Mann classics on 4K Blu-ray to the re-release of Park Chan-wook’s Oldboy in theaters. More discussion of Final Fantasy XVI and a discussion of the great Arleen Sorkin, originator of Harley Quinn who passed away over the weekend, round out the episode.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:20

Arleen Sorkin: 0:06:20 – 0:11:30

Final Fantasy XVI: 0:11:30 – 0:20:57

Jonathan’s Sword Art Online Adventures: 0:20:57 – 0:52:56

Genshin Impact 4.0: 0:52:56 – 1:09:01

Jonathan’s Movie Madness: 1:09:01 – 1:35:51

Armored Core VI: 1:35:51 – 1:55:22

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #474 - Shin Ultraman Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 25 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Seven years after Hideaki Anno and Shinji Higuchi lit the world on fire with Shin Godzilla – which we very vocally went crazy for! – the duo’s follow-up, Shin Ultraman, is finally available for home viewing in the United States! Sean’s been gradually watching through the Ultraman TV shows over the past few years, while Jonathan has only seen a few stray episodes, but we’re both in love with this passionate re-imagining of the tokusatsu classic. It’s a striking piece of filmmaking with amazing special effects, creative and disorienting camera work, a great cast, and terrific music, giving us plenty to sink our teeth into. Jonathan also talks about his experiences seeing and reviewing both halves of the Barbenheimer phenomenon this weekend (Barbie and Oppenheimer, both reviewed at the new www.jonathanlack.com), and we discuss our continued adventures in Final Fantasy XVI.

Enjoy, and come back next week for our review of the other Hideaki Anno tokusatsu film released in the US this week, Shin Kamen Rider!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:35

Barbenheimer: 0:06:35 – 0:28:17

Final Fantasy: 0:28:17 – 0:54:43

Shin Ultraman: 0:54:43 – 2:47:57

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #473 - Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 18 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s podcast, should you choose to listen to it, is all about one of the finest films of the summer, Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One. Jonathan reviewed the film in non-spoilery details at the new JonathanLack.Com last week, but on today’s show, he and Sean dive deep with the story, characters, action sequences, and much more, and while there are a few disagreements, overall we’re very much fans of what Tom Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie continue to achieve with this series. Before the big review, though, we also talk a little more Final Fantasy XVI and discuss SAG-AFTRA joining the WGA in striking Hollywood’s abhorrent treatment of its workers, in a segment that becomes a larger conversation about what a raging dumpster fire the non-Mission: Impossible parts of this industry have become.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:13

Final Fantasy XVI: 0:08:13 – 0:23:37

SAG-AFTRA Strike: 0:23:37 – 0:49:21

Godzilla News: 0:49:21 – 0:56:23

Mission Impossible Review: 0:56:23 – 2:44:41

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #472 - Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Season 2 Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 11 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

After checking in on all the recent video games we’ve playing – including Diablo IV, Street Fighter 6, Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and Final Fantasy XVI – and hearing a very funny Ultraman anecdote from Sean, we dive back into the Weekly Suit Gundam waters with our review of the second and final season of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury. This season brings the story to a close with a rousing, jam-packed set of episodes that’s darker, richer, and more action-filled than the first season. This is the first mainline Gundam series besides Reconguista in G to tell its story in just 2 cours, but that doesn’t mean it’s a thinner or less complicated show, as our super-sized conversation in today’s episode attests to. With so many amazing characters, stellar animation and music, and a story that revisits classic Gundam scenarios and iconography while also challenging and moving beyond them, Witch From Mercury is a show with a lot on its mind, and a lot to break down.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:10

Video Games (Diablo, Zelda, Street Fighter): 0:05:10 – 0:24:52

Final Fantasy XVI: 0:24:52 – 0:39:36

Ultraman: 0:39:36 – 0:49:53

G-Witch: 0:49:53 – 3:47:35

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #471 - Indiana Jones, Final Fantasy XVI, Diablo IV, Zelda & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 4 Jul 2023 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a good ol’ fashioned grab-bag this week as we prepare for the launch of Japanimation Station Season 3 tomorrow night, July 4th, with the first episode of The Classic Adventures of Lupin the 3rd – shameless plug, yes, but you should totally listen to this new season! Here on The Weekly Stuff, Jonathan talks about going through all the Indiana Jones movies for The Weekly Stuff Wordcast, and we chat about the disastrous new movie, Dial of Destiny. Sean gives first impressions of Final Fantasy XVI and gives continued thoughts on Blizzard’s Diablo IV, while Jonathan talks about getting back into The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, and we also go off the beaten track for an exploration of how out-of-control movie budgets have become, and why Sean is obsessed with Ultraman.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:40

Indiana Jones (w/spoilers for Dial of Destiny): 0:05:40 – 0:38:50

Movie Budgets Are Crazy: 0:38:50 – 0:50:04

Ultraman: 0:50:04 – 1:02:41

Final Fantasy XVI Impressions: 1:02:41 – 1:18:04

Diablo IV: 1:18:04 – 1:39:07

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom: 1:39:07 – 1:58:22

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #470 - Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 3 – Swordsmith Village Arc Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 27 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The third season of the hit anime Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba recently wrapped up its hotly anticipated third season, adapting the “Swordsmith Village Arc” of Koyoharu Gotouge’s manga, and as big fans of the series who have reviewed all the prior arcs, we’re here for a deep dive with another amazing season. This set of episodes introduces us to a cast of largely new characters, and is also where the story fully starts to lay out its biggest themes and ideas, before arriving at a pivotal turning point leading to the start of the series’ endgame. Before we dive into Demon Slayer, though, we also recap this week’s surprise Nintendo Direct, which revealed Super Mario Bros. Wonder, a remake of Super Mario RPG, and several other interesting games, and talk a lot about the glory of Elephant Mario, our new lord and savior.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:43

Nintendo Direct: 0:01:43 – 0:40:08

Demon Slayer Swordsmith Village: 0:40:08 – 3:16:03

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #469 - Street Fighter 6 Review & Not-E3 2023 Announcements

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 20 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a video game-focused episode today as we continue gushing about Capcom’s outstanding Street Fighter 6, Sean gives his first impressions of Diablo IV, and we recap all the most interesting announcements and reveals from June’s various “Not-E3 2023” events, including the Summer Games Fest, Xbox’s showcase, and more. Is Final Fantasy VII Rebirth shaping up to be something interesting? Is Persona 3 Reload the remake we always wanted? Do we care about Bethesda’s Starfield yet? And is Metaphor Re:Fantazio the presumptive Game of the Year 2024? All this and more will be answered, along with Jonathan’s thoughts on the final season of FX’s Justified!

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:36

Diablo IV: 0:06:36 – 0:14:42

Justified (w/spoilers): 0:14:42 – 0:38:55

Street Fighter 6: 0:38:55 – 1:21:20

Not-E3 2023: 1:21:20 – 3:07:40

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

PREVIEW - The Classic Adventures of Lupin the 3rd | Japanimation Station Season 3 Premieres July 4th!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 7 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sean Chapman and Jonathan Lack give you a special look at Season 3 of Japanimation Station, THE CLASSIC ADVENTURES OF LUPIN THE 3RD, premiering July 4th, 2023! In this 8-episode season, we will be surveying 30 years of anime history through the exploits of the infamous thief Lupin III and his friends Daisuke Jigen, Fujiko Mine, Goemon Ishikawa, and Inspector Zenigata! From the original anime in 1971 to the “Episode 0” origin-story special in 2002, we’re looking at many of Lupin’s biggest, best, weirdest, and most memorable heists, learning and laughing a lot along the way. In this preview, we give you the details on everything we’re watching and where exactly you can find it! Season 3 premieres July 4th, 2023, and will air Tuesday nights at 7pm CT for 8 uninterrupted weeks.

Visit our website and subscribe to Japanimation Station on all podcast platforms: http://japanimationstation.com/

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/TheWeeklyStuffPodcast

Subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcast platforms: http://www.weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

“Welcome to Japanimation Station!” Lyrics by Sean Chapman, Music by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

Season 3 Viewing Guide:

Lupin the 3rd Part I (1971) – All 23 episodes – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek, streaming on HiDive (better quality) and Crunchyroll
The Mystery of Mamo (1978) – Film – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek
Lupin the 3rd Part II (1977) – Episodes 1, 12, 13, 20, 21, 25, 26, 27, 30, 32, 34, 36, 38, 48, 57, 58, 66, 69, 85, 94, 97, 99, 112, 114, 129, 145, 148, 151, 155 – Available on DVD from Discotek, streaming on HiDive (better quality) and Crunchyroll
The Castle of Cagliostro (1979) – Film – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek, and to rent/buy on digital platforms like Amazon, Apple, YouTube, Vudu, etc.
Lupin the 3rd Part III (1984) – Episodes 1, 3, 7, 11, 13, 18, 23, 24, 27, 28, 30, 31, 34, 37, 38, 40, 44, 46, 49, 50 - Available on Blu-ray from Discotek, streaming on HiDive (better quality) and Crunchyroll
The Legend of the Gold of Babylon (1985) – Film – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek, streaming free (English dub only) on Amazon’s Freevee, Tubi, and the Roku Channel
The Fuma Conspiracy (1987) – Film – Out of print. See Carvioso + Jet Force torrent release for best available version
Bye Bye Lady Liberty (1989) – TV Special - Available on Blu-ray from Discotek, streaming free (Japanese with subtitles) on Amazon’s Freevee
Voyage to Danger (aka Orders to Assassinate Lupin, 1993) – TV Special – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek,streaming free (Japanese with subtitles) on Amazon’s Freevee, Tubi, and Pluto TV
Farewell to Nostradamus (1995) – Film – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek
Dead or Alive (1996) – Film – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek
Island of Assassins (aka Walther P-38, 1997) – TV Special – Blu-ray out-of-print, streaming free (English dub only) on Tubi; available to rent or buy (English dub only) on Amazon Prime Video
Tokyo Crisis (1998) – TV Special – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek, streaming free (English dub only) on Tubi; available to rent or buy (English dub only) on Amazon Prime Video
Episode 0: First Contact (2002) – TV Special – Available on Blu-ray from Discotek, streaming free (Japanese with subtitles) on Tubi
Strange Psychokinetic Strategy (1974) – Live-action movie – Sail the high seas for this one…

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #468 - Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 6 Jun 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The sequel to one of our favorite superhero/animated films ever made dropped this week with Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, and has been lighting the world on fire – so you know we had to talk about it. Jonathan gave his thoughts in a written review over at the Weekly Stuff Wordcast – you should subscribe! – but here, we go into full spoiler detail breaking down what makes this movie so bold, brilliant, and beautiful. We also spend a good chunk of time gushing overStreet Fighter 6, the brand new entry in the beloved fighting game series, and one that has completely captured our hearts with its charming and inviting presentation and World Tour campaign mode. A bit more Tears of the Kingdom talk and Jonathan’s continued adventures with Justified round out the episode.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:35

Zelda TotK: 0:03:35 – 0:16:16

Justified: 0:16:16 – 0:25:24

Street Fighter 6: 0:25:24 – 1:04:53

Across the Spider-Verse: 1:04:53 – 2:41:42

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #467 - Memorial Day 2023 Listener Mail Q&A Celebration Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 30 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a listener mail extravaganza today as we answer a big batch of questions from YOU, including: our thoughts on the rumored Persona 3 remake; the ongoing Writer’s Guild Strike and implosion of athe streaming business model; learning Japanese; the dumbest things we’ve ever done; what media we would save if we had to leave earth with just one VHS tape; the best/worst movie sequel titles of all time; and much, much more!

Enjoy!

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #466 - Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Impressions + Star Wars Stuff & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 23 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The biggest video game launch of 2023 is here with Nintendo’s highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for Nintendo Switch, and after a little over a week of playing, we’ve got thoughts! Jonathan was a big fan of Breath of the Wild, while Sean was much more lukewarm on it, but we’re both greatly enjoying this shockingly expansive sequel, which builds and improves upon the previous game in countless surprising and delightful ways. Before the Zelda talk, though, we hit some other pieces of business – including Jonathan teaching a very cool series on Wes Anderson at Iowa City’s FilmScene theater starting May 30th, which you should absolutely join me for if you’re around! – and Sean tells us about his recent Star Wars adventures, including the video game Star Wars Jedi Survivor and watching Season 3 of The Mandalorian.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:15:05

Sean’s Star Wars Stuff: 0:15:05 – 0:53:23

Jonathan’s Justified Journey: 0:53:23 – 1:11:38

Zelda Tears of the Kingdom: 1:11:38 – 2:05:48

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #465 - Witch on the Holy Night (Mahoutsukai no Yoru) Visual Novel Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 9 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

The second season of our anime podcast, Japanimation Station, is coming to a close tomorrow night with a jam-packed season finale, and we’re bringing you a big chunk of that episode today with our deep dive discussion of Witch on the Holy Night (aka Mahoutsukai no Yoru), the visual novel based on Kinoko Nasu’s first unpublished novel, originally released in Japan in 2012 and released worldwide in a 2022 remake. The remake landed right as we started recording this season of Japanimation Station, and we talked about it at some length in our Top 10 Video Games of 2022 episode in January. So we definitely wanted to do a bigger episode about it at some point, and this is that episode! Witch on the Holy Night is something of a ‘Rosetta Stone’ for the Nasu-verse, featuring all of Kinoko Nasu’s character types and major themes in a single, smaller-scale story, and it’s simple one of the best and richest visual novels ever made.

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #464 - Stuff Smorgasbord! Star Wars Jedi Survivor, Dumb Harry Potter News, Last of Us Remake, Microsoft x Activision Drama & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 2 May 2023 05:00:00 +0000

After a few weeks off, we’re back with a jam-packed smorgasbord of stuff to discuss, including (deep breath): first impressions of Star Wars Jedi: Survivor; reactions to WB’s idiotic and immoral decision to remake Harry Potter for Max; thoughts on the Microsoft/Activision merger drama; Jonathan’s thoughts on the incredible Spirited Away: Live on Stage that played in theaters this month; Sean’s thoughts on The Last of Us Part I remake for PS5 and his feelings after revisiting Part II as well; and so much more, including Jonathan’s adventures with travelling and with COVID! It’s an incredibly busy, jam-packed episode that hopefully makes up for our April hiatus.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:21

Stuff: 0:07:21 – 0:29:25

Harry Potter News (and Twilight): 0:29:25 – 1:00:44

Microsoft x Activision News: 1:00:44 – 1:29:53

Death of Waypoint: 1:29:53 – 1:43:26

Doctor Who News: 1:43:26 – 1:47:47

Video Game Stuff: 1:47:47 – 2:13:48

Last of Us: 2:13:48 – 2:26:32

Star Wars Jedi Survivor: 2:26:32 – 2:48:36

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #463 - The RESIDENT EVIL 4 Remake Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 4 Apr 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Last year, we recorded an episode entirely devoted to the original Resident Evil 4,easily one of the greatest video games ever made, and this week, we’ve got an episode entirely devoted to the recent Resident Evil 4 remake – which also happens to be one of the greatest video games ever made. Flawlessly expanding upon the foundations of its classic predecessor with fleshed out combat, heightened challenge, increased exploration, and a richer, more character-driven story, 2023’s Resident Evil 4 does the impossible by creating a more-than-worthy reimagining of a game it once seemed impossible to improve on. We go deep with all aspects of the game in this episode, and spend the entire time resisting the overwhelming urge to shut off the podcast and go play more of this outstanding game.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:17:13

Resident Evil 4: 0:17:13 – 2:23:35

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #462 - John Wick: Chapter 4 Review & Resident Evil 4 Remake Impressions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 28 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

‘4’ is our lucky number this week as we have the pleasure of not only reviewing the outstanding action masterpiece that is John Wick: Chapter 4, but also giving first impressions on Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 remake, which is, through what we’ve played so far, an incredible experience that’s much better than either of us expected when this project was announced. We give spoiler-free thoughts on the opening hours of the game before diving into this week’s main event, which is our overwhelming love for the latest (and possibly final) chapter in the John Wick saga. As great as these films have consistently been, Chapter 4 takes the saga to bold new heights, expanding the series’ storytelling to epic proportions and pulling off incredible feats of practical action insanity that boggle the mind. It’s an all-timer, and it deserves all the (spoiler-filled!) attention we can give it (spoilers don’t start until the 32-minute mark).

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:10

Resident Evil 4: 0:02:10 – 0:32:08

John Wick 4 (Spoilers): 0:32:08 – 2:38:17

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #461 - Reviewing HBO's The Last of Us

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 21 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us is one of the oldest topics on this podcast – we reviewed the original PS3 game, when it was brand new, 10 years and over 400 episodes ago, and have followed the series ever since – so it’s probably inevitable we’d cover HBO’s 9-episode TV adaptation starring Pedro Pascal and Bella Ramsey. What’s not inevitable is what a wonderful show this turned out to be, respecting but also expanding upon the source material to tell the story in a way that stands tall all on its own. It’s inarguably the best live-action adaptation of a video game to date – not that the competition is particularly thick – and feels like a real inflection point in Hollywood finally taking the medium seriously. We also discuss the recent games we’ve been playing, including Like a Dragon Ishin and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe, and head on over to Sean’s Beta Corner for a look at the Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Demo!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:58

Like a Dragon Ishin: 0:09:58 – 0:16:05

Kirby Return to Dream Land Deluxe: 0:16:05 – 0:26:11

Resident Evil 4 Chainsaw Demo: 0:26:11 – 0:40:58

The Last of Us: 0:40:58 – 3:10:39

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #460 - Revisiting the Original SUPER MARIO BROS. Movie (1993)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 14 Mar 2023 05:00:00 +0000

Illumination Entertainment’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie is opening in theaters next month, and is looking like a surprisingly faithful, entertaining adaptation of the beloved video game characters. But it’s not the first time Hollywood has tried this – thirty years ago, there was Super Mario Bros., a live-action adaptation starring Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, and Dennis Hopper that wound up having almost nothing to do with the video games, bombed spectacularly at the box-office, and was weirdly dark, grotesque, and horny. It is one of the most bizarre films ever made, and has one of the most incredible, mind-boggling production histories we’ve ever seen. So on the eve of Mario returning to theaters in a more recognizable form, we thought now would be a good time to look back on the first attempt to bring the plumber to the big screen, and how this infamous cinematic trainwreck took form.

Enjoy!

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Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

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Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #459 - Demon Slayer, Creed III, Hi-Fi Rush, Octopath Traveler II & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 7 Mar 2023 06:00:00 +0000

After a two week break to finish production on Japanimation Station Season 2 – shameless plug! – we are back with a jam-packed episode featuring a smorgasbord of stuff! First up, Jonathan talks about seeing Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – To the Swordsmith Village, the special theatrical event featuring the hit anime’s upcoming season premiere, and gives his thoughts on Michael B. Jordan’s excellent Creed III. Sean talks about the recent games he’s been playing, including the Xbox breakout hit Hi-Fi Rush, Tsukihime fighting game spin-off Melty Blood, and the latest entry in the Yakuza franchise, Like a Dragon: Ishin! Jonathan’s been playing some games to, and gives first impressions on Octopath Traveler II and talks about the games he’s been playing on the new Nintendo Switch Online GameBoy apps, including The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:00:37

Intro: 0:00:37 – 0:03:49

Demon Slayer – To the Swordsmith Village: 0:03:49 – 0:13:31

Creed III: 0:13:31 – 0:25:41

Melty Blood Type Lumina: 0:25:41 – 0:33:44

Hi-Fi Rush: 0:33:44 – 0:47:12

Octopath Traveler II: 0:47:12 – 0:54:47

Like a Dragon Ishin: 0:54:47 – 1:07:45

GBA Games including The Minish Cap: 1:07:45 – 1:23:39

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #458 - Nintendo Direct Breakdown & Metroid Prime Remastered

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 14 Feb 2023 06:00:00 +0000

Nintendo didn’t just drop a surprise Nintendo Direct on us this week, but delivered an event chock-full of surprises and a huge number of immediate releases – most notably the long-rumored, much-anticipated Metroid Prime Remastered, a terrific release that is pretty much the platonic ideal of a video game remaster. But we also got GameBoy and GameBoy Advance games on Switch for the first time via the Online service, got new demos for imminent releases like Octopath Traveler II and Kirby: Return to Dream Land Deluxe, got our first real look at Pikmin 4, and saw our first decent chunk of gameplay from The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. We talk about all this and more – and you better believe Jonathan is here to spread the gospel of Metroid Prime.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:00:40

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:40 – 0:16:56

Nintendo Direct Breakdown: 0:16:56 – 1:25:40

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #457 - 2023 Video Game Year-in-Preview & DC Movie News

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 7 Feb 2023 06:00:00 +0000

We’re already one month into 2023, but with eleven months still to go, we thought now would be a good time to look ahead to what’s shaping up to be a surprisingly busy year in video games. While there are plenty of titles that will likely get delayed into 2024 or beyond, even the first half of 2023 is full of titles Sean and Jonathan are both extremely excited for, from the Resident Evil 4 remake to Respawn’s Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, to the June triptych of Diablo IV, Street Fighter 6, and Final Fantasy XVI. And of course, Nintendo has The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, a direct follow-up to one of the most acclaimed games of our lifetime, coming in May. There’s plenty to preview here, and going through it all leaves us very excited for the year in gaming ahead of us. We also discuss the reveal of James Gunn’s plans for the new DC movie and TV universe, and whether or not the new creative leadership’s efforts seem like enough to right the long-sinking ship.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:00:41

Intro: 0:00:41 – 0:04:35

DC Movie News: 0:04:35 – 0:34:10

Year in Preview: 0:34:10 – 1:36:26

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Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Japanimation Station Season 2 - ufotable/Moon Works - Preview! Coming February 14th!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 1 Feb 2023 15:00:00 +0000

Hosts Sean Chapman and Jonathan Lack give you a special look at Season 2 of Japanimation Station, premiering Valentine's Day 2023. This season is called UFOTABLE/MOON WORKS, and we'll be reviewing all of anime studio extraordinaire Ufotable's adaptations of Type-Moon stories, including Fate/Stay Night and The Garden of Sinners (and in this preview, we tell you where you can watch everything we're reviewing!). The new season, which will run 13 episodes uninterrupted, begins February 14th, 2023.

Visit our website and subscribe to Japanimation Station on all podcast platforms: http://japanimationstation.com/

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“Welcome to Japanimation Station!” Lyrics by Sean Chapman, Music by Thomas Lack, featuring Hatsune Miku. https://www.thomaslack.com

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #456 – The Top 10 Video Games of 2022

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 31 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

It’s coming a little later than usual, but it’s finally here! Our countdown of the Top 10 Video Games of 2022, an annual tradition here at the Weekly Stuff Podcast, where Sean and Jonathan both rank their favorite games of the past calendar year. Our #1 for 2022 is probably pretty obvious – we spent several months gushing about it this Spring – but there are lots of surprises along the way, from an extremely obscure fan-made indie game to a wonderfully boring game about power washing to a visual novel that may or may not qualify as a video game at all. A good time is had by all, and before we start the countdown, Jonathan also shares his thoughts on the first 4 episodes of Rian Johnson and Natasha Lyonne’s Poker Face on Peacock and Fire Emblem Engage on Nintendo Switch.

Enjoy, and come back next week for our 2023 year-in-preview episode!

Time Chart:

Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:00:35

Intro: 0:00:35 – 0:02:18

Poker Face: 0:02:18 – 0:13:05

Fire Emblem Engage: 0:13:05 – 0:24:04

The Top 10 Games of 2023: 0:24:04 – 2:58:27

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #455 - Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Season 1 Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 24 Jan 2023 06:00:00 +0000

The Weekly Stuff Podcast returns for its 12th season and a big 2023 with a long-awaited Weekly Suit Gundam topic, as Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury has wrapped up its fantastic 12-episode 1st season. We’re here to dive deep on every facet of this so-far wonderful show: from our first female Gundam protagonist in Suletta Mercury, to the complex and seemingly sinister motivations of her mother/resident Char-clone Lady Prospera, to Suletta’s surprise fiancée Miorine Rembran and all the characters she meets at the Asticassia School of Technology, to the big questions like how in the world Chuatury Panlunch – aka ChuChu – fits those crazy hair globes in her pilot’s helmet. Even with just these first 12 episodes to work with, The Witch From Mercury delivers a huge amount of plot, big ideas, and stand-out moments, giving us more than enough to work with as we wait for Season 2, starting in April.

Enjoy, and come back next week for our lists of The Top 10 Games of 2022!

Time Chart:

Theme Song: 0:00:00 – 0:00:38

Intro: 0:00:38 – 0:28:06

Gundam – The Witch From Mercury: 0:28:06 – 3:34:14

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our sister series about the wide, wacky world of anime: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Explore our archives and subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcasting platforms:

https://weeklystuffpodcast.com

Follow The Weekly Stuff Wordcast newsletter for regular updates and extra content!

https://weeklystuff.substack.com

Ending music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #454 - Video Games Galore! Reviewing God of War Ragnarok, Pokémon Scarlet/Violet, and Sonic Frontiers

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 6 Dec 2022 06:00:00 +0000

It’s our final podcast of 2022 before we take a little hiatus to work on other projects, and it’s a supersized episode featuring three video game reviews for the price of one! First up is Sonic Frontiers, Sega’s new 3D Sonic game combining open-world exploration, collect-a-thon objectives, and linear platform levels, a weird but compelling package that may well be the best 3D game the blue hedgehog has ever enjoyed. Next is Pokémon Scarlet & Violet, the technically troubled but creatively superb 9th generation of Pokémon adventures, which Jonathan can’t stop playing despite the presentational flaws. And finally, we go deep with God of War Ragnarok, in full spoiler detail, to break down one of the greatest video game sequels ever made and the amazingly moving story it tells.

Enjoy, and we will see you all in January for a new year of The Weekly Stuff, and in February for Season 2 of Japanimation Station – Ufotable/Moon Works!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:11:20

Sonic Frontiers: 0:11:20 – 0:43:10

Pokémon Scarlet/Violet: 0:43:10 – 1:23:06

God of War Ragnarok: 1:23:06 – 3:14:46

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #453 – Jonathan’s 30th Birthday Podcast!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 29 Nov 2022 06:00:00 +0000

Today, November 28th, marks…well, it marks nothing, but October 8th marked the 30th birthday of our very own Jonathan Lack, and to celebrate, Sean agreed to let Jonathan surprise him with any podcast topic, which Sean would then have to see through to the end! But we had some scheduling difficulties with our special guest, Jonathan’s brother Thomas, who needed to be on this episode to make Jonathan’s very weird podcast idea work, so this one’s a little bit belated! But like last week’s 30th birthday podcast for Sean, Jonathan’s come up with a truly crazy idea to force his friend/co-host to engage with, and while we won’t spoil the topic just yet – you’ll have to listen to find out! – let’s just say it’s been in the works for over two years, and may one day factor heavily into Jonathan’s therapy sessions.

Enjoy!

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Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

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Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #452 – Sean’s 30th Birthday Podcast!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 23 Nov 2022 18:00:00 +0000

Today, November 23rd, marks the 30th birthday of our very own Sean Chapman, and to celebrate, Jonathan agreed to let Sean surprise him with any podcast topic, which Jonathan would then have to see through to the end! In this case, that meant an entire month of work and additional recordings, as Sean decided to jump Jonathan into a very weird corner of the internet and make him stay there for several weeks. The result is this week’s episode, recorded over 4 weeks as we chart the journey Sean made us go on for his birthday…and the results are very funny. What exactly is the topic? Like all good birthday presents, that’s a surprise – you’ll just have to listen to find out!

Enjoy, and come back next week for Jonathan’s 30th birthday podcast, which might be even crazier than this one…

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #451 – God of War: Ragnarok Impressions, plus Best Films Ever Made and Remembering Kevin Conroy

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 15 Nov 2022 06:00:00 +0000

This week saw one of the highest-profile video game releases of the year with Sony’s God of War: Ragnarok for PS4 and PS5, a direct sequel to the outstanding 2018 God of War reboot. We give spoiler-free first impressions on the opening hours of this extremely ambitious game, from the jaw-dropping graphics and presentation to a story that’s immediately rich in character and world-building. Before that, though, Jonathan shares a piece he published over the weekend with his take on what films constitute the ‘greatest’ ever made, and we both remember the great Kevin Conroy after his passing at age 66. The iconic voice of Batman for 30 years in various media, from The Animated Series to the Arkham video games, Conroy is the definitive Batman, and a much-loved figure in the fandom and industry, who will be deeply missed.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:11:45

Greatest Films Ever: 0:11:45 – 0:35:42

Remembering Kevin Conroy: 0:35:42 – 0:49:58

God of War Ragnarok: 0:49:58 – 1:28:18

Batman TAS Oral History - https://www.vulture.com/article/oral-history-batman-the-animated-series.html

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #450 – The HALLOWEEN Episode: Revisiting the Original John Carpenter Classic

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 31 Oct 2022 22:00:00 +0000

It’s a very special Halloween episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast, as we’re here on this very spooky day for a deep-dive retrospective review of one of the greatest films ever made: HALLOWEEN, the original John Carpenter classic from 1978 that introduced the world to The Shape, to Jamie Lee Curtis, to one of the most iconic film music themes of all time, and to a hilariously unwieldy franchise that has only gotten stranger over time. But this original film stands very tall on its own as one of the greatest triumphs of American independent filmmaking, a note-perfect exercise in pacing, cinematography, editing, and every other fundamental that makes film great. It’s an absolute joy to talk about, but that’s not all we have on this episode! We also review the campaign for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – Here We Go Again! in depth and talk a little about the multiplayer, before discussing some Doctor Who news and puzzling over what’s going on with Henry Cavill and The Witcher.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:37

Modern Warfare II: 0:02:37 – 0:32:42

News: 0:32:42 – 1:03:43

Halloween: 1:03:43 – 3:09:39

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Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #449 – Fullmetal Alchemist Movie Round-up! Plus Modern Warfare II Campaign & Doctor Who Reaction

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 25 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

After giving initial impressions of the campaign for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – Here We Go Again! and Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, we give a live reaction to the latest regeneration on Doctor Who and discuss the series’ exciting future now that Chris Chibnall has returned to the chasm from whence he came. Then it’s time to finish our series of Fullmetal Alchemist reviews by rounding up the remaining theatrical feature films. First, there’s 2011’s The Sacred Star of Milos, an animated spin-off of Brotherhood made by the same crew, but with entirely different creative leadership, leading to a radically different aesthetic and the best animation Fullmetal Alchemist has ever seen. The live-action Fullmetal Alchemist trilogy consists of three films – 2017’s Fullmetal Alchemist and this year’s The Revenge of Scar and The Final Alchemy, all streaming worldwide on Netflix – that are a surprisingly faithful recreation of the manga (maybe too much so at times). Bouncing between hilarious B-movie oddity, boring recitation of the original story, and a few genuinely affecting performances and scenes, these movies are uneven but extremely interesting, and more than worth taking the time to discuss here.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:32

Modern Warfare II & Other Games: 0:01:32 – 0:24:18

Doctor Who: 0:24:18 – 0:34:46

Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:34:46 – 3:04:04

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Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #448 – The Teaching Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 18 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a Very Special Episode this week as Sean & Jonathan answer a series of questions all about our day job: Teaching! Sean is a high-school English teacher and Jonathan teaches at the college level as PhD student, and while we’ve touched upon all this before, we haven’t yet done a deep dive on the profession, our thoughts – positive and negative – about it, how our two teaching roles differ, and so on. It’s a fun, informative discussion fueled by some great listener questions, and while we’ve never done an episode like this before, we hope it will be useful for those interested!

Enjoy!

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Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #447 – The FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Episode(s) Part 4 – Brotherhood Part 2 (Episodes 33-64)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Our journey through Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood comes to an end with the second half of the second anime, now in fully uncharted territory as it adapts the final stretch of Hiromu Arakawa’s original manga. Diving deep into the Briggs and Promised Day story arcs that conclude the series, we discuss all the many ups and occasional downs of this last run. The manga is probably at its most uneven during this portion, but Brotherhood fully comes into its own as an anime, its pacing finally relaxed enough to fully tell the story, its ludicrously stacked voice cast fully in place, and its animation and aesthetics frequently on point as it approaches the end. As we go through the good, the bad, and everything in between, we find no shortage of topics worth discussing, and Brotherhood proves extremely rewarding to talk about all the way up to its all-time great ending.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:42

Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:03:42 – 3:38:27

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #446 – The Top 10 Video Game Controllers of All Time

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 4 Oct 2022 05:00:00 +0000

We were planning on a very elaborate podcast for Jonathan’s 30th birthday this week, but some unforeseen travel problems led to us breaking glass in case of emergency on a topic we’ve been keeping in our back pocket for over a decade now: ranking the Top 10 Video Game Controllers of all time! From the NES to the PS5, we go through several generations of gaming consoles to pick out the best controllers from over the years – and make fun of the worst – to determine which are the best, most influential, and all-around most enjoyable to use. And we even rank the Top 5 D-Pads of all time, just to cover all the bases. Hot takes abound and fierce debates are had as we try to reach consensus on the best controllers in the history of console gaming.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:40

The Inevitable Death of Google Stadia: 0:08:40 – 0:31:08

Stuff: 0:31:08 – 00:44:38

The Top 10 Video Game Controllers: 0:44:38 – 1:59:37

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #445 – The AVATAR Episode (The James Cameron movie, not the Nickelodeon show)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 27 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

After a trip to Sean’s Beta Corner to review the recent betas for Team Ninja’s Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty and Activision’s Call of Duty: Modern Warfare II – Here We Go Again!, Sean and Jonathan hop over to Pandora (the planet, not the music app) for a deep dive on Avatar (the James Cameron movie, not the Nickelodeon show). It’s been 13 years since the film took the entire world by storm, becoming the highest-grossing film in history, and the film’s reputation hasn’t aged very gracefully. We haven’t seen it since its original theatrical run, so how do we think it holds up now? We get into the special effects, the world-building, the story, the terrible dialogue, the extremely uncomfortable racial overtones, and much more in this wide-ranging, rewarding conversation.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:10:15

Sean’s Beta Corner – Wo Long Fallen Dynasty: 0:10:15 – 0:18:00

Sean’s Beta Corner – Call of Duty Modern Warfare II: 0:18:00 – 0:41:46

Avatar: 0:41:46 – 2:58:39

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #444 – Video Game News Galore! Nintendo Direct, State of Play, Tokyo Game Show, Assassin's Creed & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 20 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

With the Tokyo Game Show going down this week in, well, Tokyo, there was an avalanche of gaming news and gaming events, with Nintendo, Sony, and many others showing off new games for 2023 and beyond, and we break it all down on today’s episode! Starting with Ubisoft’s event last week to show off the appropriately convoluted future of Assassin’s Creed, and continuing on to this week’s Nintendo Direct – where we saw a new Fire Emblem, Octopath Traveler II, and got the title reveal for The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom – and Sony’s State of Play, which showed off Team Ninja’s Rise of the Ronin and gave us a peek at the future of the Yakuza franchise, now returning to its original Japanese title, Like a Dragon. And if all that wasn’t enough, Hoyoverse also gave us some huge Genshin Impact reveals, including the jaw-dropping news that Ufotable, the renowned animation studio behind Kimetsu no Yaiba, will be creating the long-awaited Genshin anime.

Enjoy, and come back next week for our retrospective review of James Cameron’s Avatar, as it heads back into theaters ahead of December’s sequel.

TIME CHART:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:21:34

Splatoon News: 0:21:34 – 0:29:00

Assassin’s Creed News: 0:29:00 – 1:01:10

Nintendo Direct: 1:01:10 – 1:31:30

Sony State of Play: 1:31:30 – 1:56:21

Yakuza and Tokyo Game Show News: 1:56:21 – 2:11:16

Genshin: 2:11:16 – 2:23:07

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

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Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #443 – The FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Episode(s) Part 3: BROTHERHOOD Part 1 (Episodes 1-32)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 13 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

It’s another packed episode as Jonathan gives first impressions of Splatoon 3 on the Nintendo Switch, reviews the Star Trek: The Motion Picture – Director’s Edition on 4K UHD Blu-ray, and we commiserate over the ever-growing avalanche of Disney/Marvel news from the weekend, before jumping into the next phase of our Fullmetal Alchemist review series! This time, we’re talking Brotherhood, the 2009 anime that starts fresh to adapt Hiromu Arakawa’s original manga in full. With a new crew, a new animation style, many new cast members, and a largely new story, Brotherhood is extremely different than the 2003 anime – and in many ways, it’s also a different beast than the manga, especially in this first half. It’s a lot to talk about, and with a whole half of the series left to go, we’re only just scratching the surface.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:37:41

Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:37:41 – 3:29:34

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #442 – Genshin Impact 3.0, House of the Dragon, The Rings of Power, and Gundam: The Witch From Mercury Prologue

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 6 Sep 2022 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a ridiculously packed podcast today filled to the brim with great topics, starting with Jonathan’s thoughts on the year’s two biggest American TV premieres – HBO’s Game of Thrones spin-off House of the Dragon and Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series, The Rings of Power – before he and Sean devote a very silly segment to pitching several different Lord of the Rings spin-offs to Amazon. Then we break down the news surrounding Halo Infinite, which is maybe in the most dire shape we’ve ever seen for an ongoing video game, before shifting gears to a game that’s never been better with Genshin Impact! The 3.0 update is now out, adding the Sumeru region, a new element, tons of story, and all sorts of new exploration mechanics, and it’s some of the best material yet introduced in this always-excellent game. And finally, we bring you a short Weekly Suit Gundam topic to break down the special Prologue episode for the upcoming Gundam show The Witch From Mercury. Phew! That’s a LOT of podcast all in one place.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:12:58

House of the Dragon: 0:12:58 – 0:28:24

The Rings of Power: 0:28:24 – 0:41:29

Lord of the Rings Spinoff Showcase: 0:41:29 – 0:48:19

Halo Infinite: 0:48:19 – 1:10:59

Genshin Impact 3.0: 1:10:59 – 2:47:23

Gundam Witch Prologue: 2:47:23 – 3:25:55

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Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #441 – Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero Movie Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 23 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Nearly 4 years after Broly, Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero – the 21st Dragon Ball film overall, and 4th of the modern era – opened this weekend in North American theaters, playing in both English and Japanese for the first time in franchise history, and with the widest opening for an anime film ever in the United States, playing on nearly 4,000 screens! It’s also the first Dragon Ball film to be produced completely in 3D CGI, with a new team led by director Tetsuro Kodama bringing Akira Toriyama’s script to life in a very different style than we’ve seen before. And the movie turned out to be well worth the wait and the hype, telling a compelling character-driven story centered on Piccolo, Gohan, and Pan, with several wonderful new characters, a lot of incredible action, plenty of big laughs, and even a few surprisingly touching pay-offs at the end! It’s a great Dragon Ball movie, and a big step forward for CGI anime, and it makes for an incredible fun discussion between Sean and Jonathan.

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #440 – The FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Episode(s) Part 2: The Movie, “Conqueror of Shamballa”

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 16 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Before continuing our journey through Fullmetal Alchemist, Jonathan and Sean catch up with a very loopy opening segment in which Jonathan asks many increasingly silly questions about Sean’s experience teaching in Texas; Sean reviews the game Sifu for PS5; and Jonathan talks about his impromptu deep dive into the works of Orson Welles. And then it’s back to the world of Fullmetal Alchemist for the 2005 feature film Conqueror of Shamballa, a narratively messy but beautifully made movie that showcases the best and the worst that this ‘alternate’ version of the series to offer. We see how Seiji Mizushima and company bring this version of the story to a close, with Sean and Jonathan giving their final thoughts on how the 2003 version of Fullmetal Alchemist stands the test of time nearly 20 years later.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:12:28

Sean Talks Sifu: 0:12:28 – 0:24:05

Jonathan Talks Orson Welles: 0:24:05 – 0:39:23

Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:39:23 – 2:17:29

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #439 – The FULLMETAL ALCHEMIST Episode(s) Part 1: The 2003 Anime

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 9 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

This week’s show starts off with the baffling news about the newly-merged Warner Bros. Discovery shelving a completed Batgirl film for a tax write-down, and then continues into the first big topic from our new anime podcast, Japanimation Station, where we’re diving into the world of Hiromu Arakawa’s Fullmetal Alchemist, starting today with the 2003 anime that partially adapted the then-young manga before branching off into an increasingly divergent anime-original story. While it was a huge and acclaimed hit, in Japan and abroad, at the time of release, the show has a more controversial reputation now, years after Arakawa’s manga was completed and faithfully re-adapted as Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood. Sean and Jonathan are coming at the 2003 series from wildly different directions – Jonathan a lifelong fan who started with this anime as a kid, and Sean only recently having read the manga without ever seeing either anime – so our perspectives inherently diverge. But if there’s one thing we clearly agree on, it’s that this is a fascinating show very much worth talking about. Whether one loves it or hates it, it’s clearly more than an outdated curio, and we think you, like us, will come away from this conversation with a greater appreciation for all versions of Fullmetal Alchemist.

Time Chart:

Intro & News: 0:00:00 – 0:24:34

Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:24:34 – 3:41:16

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Japanimation Station #1 - A New Anime Podcast from The Weekly Stuff

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 2 Aug 2022 05:00:00 +0000

The Weekly Stuff Podcast is off this week, but for good reason - we're launching a new anime podcast! And for the debut episode of Japanimation Station, we're introducing (or re-introducing) ourselves and hosting a spirited discussion about how we got into anime, how our fandoms and interests have evolved over the years, what makes animation special in the first place, and why anime in particular is the thing we find so interesting we had to make a whole podcast about it. You’ll learn about our backgrounds, our philosophies, our anime likes and dislikes, and much more as we introduce you to the foundational ideas of our show! And at the end, we share which 5 anime we would each take to a desert island if such a strange fate were to befall us.

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Follow Japanimation Station on Twitter!

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #438 – The RESIDENT EVIL 4 Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 26 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is a real treat, as we finally take the time to talk about one of the greatest video games of all time, Resident Evil 4. With the remake of Capcom’s action classic coming next Spring, and Sean and Jonathan both having fallen hard down the Resident Evil rabbit hole at different times over the past few years, we thought now was the perfect time to break down why Resident Evil 4 is so entirely singular, why it’s so ridiculously fun and engaging, and why it still stands tall and timeless as such a perfect masterclass of game design 17 years later. We also break down the news out of the Marvel panel from this week’s Comic-Con, where producer Kevin Feige laid out the next few years of MCU movies and shows in a plan that has us both feeling exhausting and baffled. But hey, the Black Panther trailer was great!

Enjoy, and come back next week for the launch of our brand new anime podcast, Japanimation Station!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:29

Marvel News: 0:05:29 – 0:51:09

Resident Evil 4: 0:51:09 – 2:47:31

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Japanimation Station THEME SONG REVEAL!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 22 Jul 2022 17:00:00 +0000

Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman, hosts of the upcoming anime podcast Japanimation Station, speak with musician Thomas Lack, composer of the original theme song to Japanimation Station!

Subscribe on all podcast platforms at http://JapanimationStation.Com

Follow Japanimation Station on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JapanimationPod

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Subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/c/theweeklystuffpodcast

Visit our website and subscribe to Japanimation Station on all podcast platforms: http://japanimationstation.com

Subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcast platforms: http://www.weeklystuffpodcast.com

Original Music composed and produced by Thomas Lack

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #437 – Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island Movie Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 19 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

We start today’s show by chatting about work, with Sean telling a funny story about getting a teaching certification, before discussing our love for the fantastic anime Kaguya-sama: Love is War, but then it’s time for Gundam! And this week, both Gundam as a franchise and Weekly Suit Gundam as a podcast are coming full circle by returning to the world of First Gundam, with the brand-new movie set in the timeline of the original show, Mobile Suit Gundam: Cucuruz Doan’s Island! A remake of the infamous 15th episode of Mobile Suit Gundam – an episode with such a troubled production that creator Yoshiyuki Tomino has never allowed it to be distributed outside Japan – original Gundam character designer and animation supervisor Yoshikazu Yasuhiko returns as director to redeem this story of a Zeon deserter protecting war orphans on a deserted island. It’s an absolutely wonderful movie, as beautifully animated as one would expect from the great Yasuhiko, but also incredibly smart and soulful in its themes and storytelling, finding a particularly compelling story for original Gundam protagonist Amuro Ray, played again here – possibly for the last time – by a never-better Tōru Furuya. This is a great movie, and an absolute pleasure to discuss for our final Weekly Suit Gundam before the launch of Japanimation Station.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:23:17

Gundam Cucuruz Doan: 0:23:17 – 2:33:31

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Japanimation Station Trailer - Launching August 1st

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 15 Jul 2022 18:00:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman introduce you to the world of JAPANIMATION STATION, a new anime podcast from the creators of Weekly Suit Gundam and The Weekly Stuff Podcast.

Subscribe on all podcast platforms at JapanimationStation.Com

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JonathanLack

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Subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQBqje0qmCVn0WkCXJzckaA

Visit our website and subscribe to Weekly Suit Gundam on all podcast platforms: http://weeklysuitgundam.com

Subscribe to The Weekly Stuff Podcast on all podcast platforms: http://www.weeklystuffpodcast.com

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #436 – Thor: Love & Thunder Review and Remembering Kazuki Takahashi

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 12 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

This week saw the release of the hotly anticipated Thor: Love & Thunder, a movie we were both looking forward to given what an exceptional effort director Taika Waititi’s last go-round with Thor was in 2017’s Ragnarok. Alas, the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is maybe the most disappointing, a muddled, unfocused, and aesthetically disastrous mess that has some good ideas and moments, but never truly coheres. We review the movie in our typical spoiler-filled depth, and before that, Sean tells us about his continuing adventures in the world of Resident Evil, Jonathan gives his thoughts on Square Enix’s Triangle Strategy, and we remember the great mangaka Kazuki Takahashi, creator of Yu-Gi-Oh!, after he tragically passed away this week at the age of 60.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:09

Resident Evil: 0:08:09 – 0:20:23

Triangle Strategy: 0:20:23 – 0:35:48

News and Kazuki Takahashi: 0:35:48 – 0:57:02

Thor Love & Thunder: 0:57:02 – 2:36:19

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #435 – Ranking the Best Gundam Characters, Mobile Suits, and Everything Else!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 5 Jul 2022 05:00:00 +0000

In the 3rd and final part of our Weekly Suit Gundam 3rd Anniversary ranking celebration, we’re ranking…well, almost everything! We start by listing our Top 10 favorite Mobile Suits from the last year’s worth of shows, our Top 10 Mobile Suits overall, our Top 10 favorite characters from across the franchise – and then it’s party time, as we deliver all the rankings requested by YOU, the listeners, including the best Gundam Boys, the best Captains, the best Char clones, the best Haros, the best deaths, and so much more! It’s a veritable cornucopia of Gundam rankings, and a great way to celebrate and close out 3 fantastic years of Weekly Suit Gundam.

Enjoy, and listen to the end to hear exciting details about the future of Weekly Suit Gundam and our big plans for covering even more anime in the years to come!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #434 – Obi-Wan Kenobi Finale & Series Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 28 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Obi-Wan Kenobi, the 6-episode Star Wars miniseries on Disney+, finished up its run this week with an emotionally charged and visually stunning episode that proved this to be just as much a series about Darth Vader as it was about Obi-Wan, and all the better for it. We really enjoyed these 6 episodes, even with a few wonky bits of plotting or visuals along the way, and found ourselves deeply invested in the story it told about Obi-Wan, Vader, Leia, and all the other characters introduced along the way. It’s certainly a show that rewards the kind of discussions we do here, but that’s not all for this week! Sean also talks about revisiting the original Resident Evil as he begins working his way through the remakes, Jonathan reviews the Sonic Origins collection, and we laugh about Sony’s quixotic quest to make increasingly terrible movies about ever-more obscure Spider-Man villains with news on Kraven the Hunter (and a lot of jokes about Morbius).

It’s Morbin’ Time!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:08

Stuff, including Resident Evil: 0:04:08 – 0:45:55

It’s Morbin’ Time: 0:45:55 – 1:10:02

Obi-Wan Kenobi: 1:10:02 – 2:52:42

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The Weekly Stuff with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman is a weekly audio podcast, and if you subscribe on Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts, episodes will be delivered automatically and for free as soon as they are released. Visit www.weeklystuffpodcast.com for a complete archive of streaming and downloadable episodes.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #433– Not-E3 2022 & Gundam Music Rankings Extravaganza!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 21 Jun 2022 05:00:00 +0000

In today’s supercharged extra-long podcast (still less than half-as-long as last week’s 10th anniversary spectacular,though), we go through some of the gaming news from Not-E3 2022, including the reveal of the next entry in the Final Fantasy VII Remake saga, Persona 3 and 4 coming to modern consoles, Resident Evil VILLage getting DLC, and much more! And then for our main topic, it’s a Weekly Suit Gundam music extravaganza as we’re ranking the best Gundam soundtracks and songs in a music discussion so massive we could barely fit it all in one episode, including Sean and Jonathan’s respective Top 40 Gundam Songs! (Which now have dedicated playlists on YouTube, which you can listen as if we’ve DJ’d our own Gundam radio stations!)

Enjoy!

Jonathan’s Top 40 Gundam Songs – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk08eaY2eGd991aJ6BmqzsYIDEnUba-ZM

Sean’s Top 40 Gundam Songs – https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLk08eaY2eGd9UwNYWBVQOMh4pS2HpDFL1

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 00:00:00 – 00:12:35

Sean reviews Horizon Forbidden West: 00:12:35 – 00:24:52

Not-E3 2022 News: 00:24:52 – 1:24:59

Gundam – Top 10 Soundtracks: 1:24:59 – 3:05:58

Gundam – Best Songs: 3:05:58 – 4:33:53

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #432 – 10 FOR 10: The Weekly Stuff Podcast 10th Anniversary Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 13 Jun 2022 15:00:00 +0000

10 years ago today, on June 13th, 2012, we launched The Weekly Stuff Podcast (then called WGTC Radio) – and today, 10 years and 432 episodes later, we’re bringing you the biggest episode we’ve ever done to celebrate. In this massive 10-hour podcast spectacular, we’ve recorded 10 topics for 10 years, each revisiting one of our many recurring subjects – like Doctor Who, Persona, Lord of the Rings, and Gundam – by reviewing or discussing something in that area we haven’t talked about before. So you’ll hear us discuss things like “The Three Doctors,” the Doctor Who serial from 1973 that marked that show’s 10th anniversary with its first-ever multi-Doctor story, or “Persona 3: The Weird Masquerade,” the extremely bizarre and weirdly compelling stage musical based on one of our all-time favorite video games. And there’s a lot more – this podcast is full of surprises, and while we’ve listed the topic areas in the time chart below, we haven’t listed exactly what we’re discussing, just in case you’d like to go in unspoiled.

Thank you all so much for being along for the ride, whether you’ve recently discovered our podcast or have been here for all 10 years. And as always…Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 00:00:00 – 00:10:22

I. Doctor Who: 00:10:23 – 01:10:24

II. Lord of the Rings: 01:10:24 – 02:06:52

III. Persona: 02:06:52 – 03:08:56

IV. Superheroes: 03:08:56 – 04:15:32

V. Godzilla: 04:15:32 – 05:18:21

VI. Twin Peaks: 05:18:21 – 06:19:54

VII. An Early 00s Movie: 06:19:54 – 07:22:13

VIII. Dragon Ball: 07:22:13 – 08:21:12

IX: Gundam: 08:21:12 – 09:22:53

X: Genshin Impact: 09:22:53 – 10:32:04

Outro: 10:32:04 – 10:49:25

Links to Content Reviewed:

Persona 3 The Weird Masquerade English Subtitles - https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiy1WLTm7y8wFxkRdzycpHRZ0QNNYnkUX

Gundam 0079: The War for Earth English Playthrough - https://youtu.be/XJWV9-TRD1E

Gundam 0079: The War for Earth Japanese Playthrough - https://youtu.be/sDMxNeMl66E

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #431 – Weekly Suit Gundam 3-Year Anniversary Celebration & Rankings! (Part 1)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 10 Jun 2022 17:00:00 +0000

It’s been three years since we started our sister series Weekly Suit Gundam, watching just two episodes of the original Mobile Suit Gundam for our first show – and three years later, we’ve watched over 800 episodes of Gundam and reviewed every series in the pantheon. So for this year’s anniversary, we’re not just ranking the shows we reviewed in the past year – though we do that as well – but ranking every Gundam show, with Sean and Jonathan sharing their individual lists before debating and coming to a consensus on an official Weekly Suit Gundam ranking of all 33 Gundam shows/OVAs/movies we’ve covered on this show. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting three whole years for. And if you’re not into Gundam, fear not! We also spend an hour at the top of the show talking Genshin Impact Version 2.7, hear Jonathan’s experiences creating a fan edit of the Star Wars spin-off Book of Boba Fett, and go over some of the gaming news from Not-E3 2022.

Enjoy, and be sure not to miss our very special 10th Anniversary podcast spectacular this Monday, June 13th, at 10am! It’s the biggest and best episode we’ve ever done – 10 topics over 10 hours – and we hope to see you there. https://youtu.be/21eM2T-63Vs

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:42

Genshin Impact: 0:04:42 – 0:26:03

Star Wars: 0:26:03 – 0:34:20

Not-E3 2022 News: 0:34:20 – 0:52:48

Gundam: 0:52:48 – 3:04:11

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #430 – Obi-Wan Kenobi Premiere Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 31 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Ewan McGregor made his long-awaited return as Obi-Wan Kenobi in this week’s premiere episodes of the aptly titled Obi-Wan Kenobi for Disney+, and we were so enthusiastic about the results we just had to share our thoughts in today’s episode! With a compelling characterization of an Obi-Wan stuck between the despair of his many losses in Episode III and the wise, hopeful mentor of Episode IV, the show finds a smart way into this story, with some much appreciated surprises in store, and a large number of excellent new and returning performances throughout these first two hours. We save that spoiler-filled discussion for the end of the podcast, with Sean talking about his adventures watching the Ultraman series at the beginning, followed by Jonathan’s take on Top Gun Maverick and his initial impressions of Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:09

Ultraman: 0:06:09 – 0:15:17

Top Gun Maverick: 0:15:17 – 0:24:37

Lego Star Wars: 0:24:37 – 0:39:05

Obi-Wan Kenobi: 0:39:05 – 1:42:36

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Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #429 – Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt & Twilight Axis Reviews & Discussions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 24 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Jonathan shares his rankings of all 13 Star Trek films following an inexplicable completist run through all of them, which Sean mocks him roundly for, and then it’s time to settle all Gundam business by reviewing two ONA (original net animation) series that are the last mainline Gundam titles we’ve yet left un-reviewed. Mobile Suit Gundam Thunderbolt, based on the manga by Yasuo Ohtagaki, aired from 2015 to 2017 and was collected into 2 films, December Sky and Bandit Flower, and it’s a fascinating, frequently rousing production, if also one that’s messy and incomplete. With detailed over-the-top action scored to incredible jazz music by Naruyoshi Kikuchi and a series of faux-pop oldies representing rival protagonists Io Fleming and Daryl Lorenz, Thunderbolt is a synesthetic marvel – but it’s also barreling through 7 volumes of manga in a scant 2.5 hours, and with no new episodes in 5 years, it’s an entirely unfinished project. Twilight Axis, on the other hand, is finished – but it’s very slight, a series of short ONA episodes collected into a 26-minute movie, loosely adapting a series of light novels into an impressionistic-at-best, confusing-and-vestigial-at-worst short film.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:38:39

Gundam Thunderbolt: 0:38:39 – 2:00:26

Gundam Twilight Axis: 2:00:26 – 2:21:51

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #428 – Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 17 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

Before ‘diving’ into this week’s Gundam discussion – yes, it’s still a pun – Sean talks about finally upgrading to a new smartphone (after being on the iPhone 6S for over half the life of this show), asks Jonathan why he’s inexplicably watching through all the Star Trek movies including the very bad ones, and Jonathan gives impressions of the excellent indie adventure Tunic on Xbox. Then it’s time to talk about Gundam Build Divers Re:RISE, the most pleasantly surprising qualitative whiplash we’ve ever seen. Following the franchise low-point of Gundam Build Divers, Re:RISE is a stunningly smart, soulful, exciting, and all-around excellent anime that is nearly as great as the original show is bad. Following a new group of characters – the BUILD DiVERS, distinguished by one lowercase ‘i’ – Re:RISE immediately distinguishes itself with a deeply human and compelling protagonist, Hiroto Kuga, and a fantastic group of supporting characters, all on a wild adventure that combines the video game isekai tropes the first show tried but failed at, a more traditional fantasy isekai journey to another world, and even dashes of other non-Build Gundam shows with heroes, villains, and major life-and-death stakes. It’s the last full Gundam show made to date, and we couldn’t ask for much more of the series that catches this podcast up to the franchise’s present day.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:33:01

Gundam Re:RISE: 0:33:01 – 3:05:31

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #427 – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 10 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a very ‘strange’ podcast this week – haha, get it? – as we review the latest entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness! Directed by the great Sam Raimi – and featuring WAY more of his characteristic humor, scares, distorted camera work, and cartoon violence than we expected – it’s one of the most unique, imaginative, and downright fun films Marvel has made so far. To put it simply, the film kicks ass. We also got news this weekend about the casting of the 14th Doctor on Doctor Who, to be played by 29-year-old Ncuti Gatwa, who will become the first black actor to play the iconic part, and discussion of this exciting announcement rounds out the episode.

And finally, in recognition of the overwhelming threat to reproductive rights bearing down on the United States this week after it became clear the Supreme Court was poised to overturn Roe v Wade, we are encouraging listeners to make donations, if able, to local abortion funds in their area. Jonathan will be donating to the Iowa Abortion Access Fund in Iowa, and Sean to the Lilith Fundin Texas, but we encourage you to donate wherever will do the most good in your community.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:21:29

Doctor Who News: 0:21:29 – 0:32:32

Doctor Strange 2 Review: 0:32:32 – 1:50:21

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #426 – Gundam Build Divers Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 3 May 2022 05:00:00 +0000

After a bit of a break from the giant fighting robots, we’re diving back into Gundam this week, jumping all the way down to the bottom of the barrel to review 2018’s Gundam Build Divers. Capitalizing on the Sword Art Online-inspired Isekai craze of the 2010s, Gundam Build Divers takes the Gunpla action out of the real world and into a very boring virtual reality, without really understanding what makes Isekai shows or the prior Build Fighters series fun in the first place. With amazingly low stakes, wildly inconsistent world building, nary an interesting character in sight, and a final arc that goes from zero to bananas in record time (and not in a good way), Gundam Build Divers is the nadir of animated Gundam. And before eviscerating this terrible series, Sean also talks about playing Horizon: Forbidden West, and Jonathan discusses catching up on recent happenings in Genshin Impact.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:26:39

Gundam Build Divers: 0:26:39 – 2:31:44

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #425 – Elden Ring Final Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 26 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

After hundreds of hours, countless deaths, millions of runes collected and dozens of demigods slain, Sean and Jonathan are both finally finished with FromSoftware’s incredible open-world RPG masterpiece Elden Ring, and that means it is, at last, time for our in-depth spoiler-filled review and discussion. After discussing the game in bits and pieces along the way over the past two months, we dive deep with the surprisingly rich storytelling and mythology, the many fabulous boss fights, the seemingly endless assortment of dense, surprising areas and images, and so much more. Before the spoiler chat begins, Sean also talks about reading through the Fullmetal Alchemist manga for the first time, Jonathan review Robert Eggers’ outstanding new Viking epic The Northman, and we collectively take a look at the upcoming ‘second season’ of Halo Infinite, and why the game is in such a bafflingly miserable state.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:33

Fullmetal Alchemist: 0:02:33 – 0:16:52

The Northman: 0:16:52 – 0:25:00

Halo Infinite Is a Mess: 0:25:00 – 0:52:22

Elden Ring: 0:52:22 – 2:44:33

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #424 – Listener Mail, Elden Ring, Genshin Impact & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 19 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a loose and free-wheeling episode this week as we dive into a big bag of listener mail, answering your questions on anime, video games, Gundam, our most anticipated movies of the next year, and much more! Listeners answered the call with a bunch of fun questions that hopefully led to some entertaining and/or enlightening answers. We also talk some more about Elden Ring, which Jonathan is slowly inching towards the finish line on, and discuss the recent Inazuma festival content in Genshin Impact, which has been a blast.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:16:38

Elden Ring: 0:16:38 – 0:26:34

Genshin Impact: 0:26:34 – 0:39:19

More Stuff: 0:39:19 – 0:50:50

Listener Mail: 0:50:50 – 1:59:38

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #423 – Sonic the Hedgehog 2 Retrospective & Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 12 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

With Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (the movie) currently atop the box office in theaters, we thought it would be a perfect time to take a look back at Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (the 1992 video game). Sonic 2 is one of the all-time great video game sequels, a landmark 2D platformer with some of the best graphics, art direction, sound, and music of the 16-bit era, all built atop wildly creative labyrinthine level design. The game was a major cultural event when it released 30 years ago – the same year we were born! Oh god! We’re so old! – and it more than holds up today as one of the greatest games ever made. We also talk a little bit about the new movie, which is a delightful treat for Sonic fans, discuss the (inevitably confusing) announcement of Kingdom Hearts IV, and Jonathan sings the praises of the Daniels’ Everything Everywhere All at Once, the outstanding new film starring Michelle Yeoh that everybody needs to see as soon as possible.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:15

Kingdom Hearts IV News: 0:03:15 – 0:13:29

Stuff: 0:13:29 – 0:48:21

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (The Game): 0:48:21 – 2:05:44

Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (The Movie): 2:05:44 – 2:24:49

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #422 – PS Plus News, Anime Talk, Vampire Survivors, and Jonathan Talks About Save Mechanics in Video Games

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 5 Apr 2022 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a stuff-heavy episode this week as Sean and Jonathan talk about the latest Genshin Impact update, talk about anime they’ve been watching – including the news that Attack on Titan is continuing its ‘Final Season’ to a third and actually final part next year – and discuss the news that PlayStation Plus and PlayStation Now will soon be combining into three separate, confusingly-named tiers, the upside of which is finally getting backwards compatible games on PS5. Sean also sings the praises of indie sensation Vampire Survivors on PC, and Jonathan shares a talk he gave at this year’s Society for Cinema and Media Studies conference on how save mechanics in video games can be used to enhance player immersion. It’s academic, but hopefully of interest to podcast listeners.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:00

Attack on Titan (no spoilers): 0:07:00 – 0:12:31

Genshin Impact: 0:12:31 – 0:24:20

Little Witch Academia: 0:24:20 – 0:47:30

Vampire Survivors: 0:47:30 – 0:58:58

PS Plus News: 0:58:58 – 1:22:08

Jonathan Talks Save Mechanics in Games: 1:22:08 – 1:47:23

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #421 – The Jujutsu Kaisen Episode: Reviewing Season 1 and Jujutsu Kaisen 0

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 29 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode is all about the Shonen anime sensation Jujutsu Kaisen, which recently saw its first film, Jujutsu Kaisen 0, released in American theaters to surprising levels of success. It’s one of our favorite anime in recent years, and we’re finally taking the time to break down the first season, all the amazing characters, the best fights, the killer music, and the unholy amounts of swagger embodied by Gojo Satoru-sensei. If Kimetsu no Yaiba – which we’ve talked about plenty here! – is the archetypal Shonen anime elevated to new dramatic heights, then Jujutsu Kaisen is Shonen anime distilled to almost dangerous amounts of weapons-grade fun. And the movie, a prequel based on the 4-chapter ‘pilot’ manga Gege Akutami wrote before the main series, is pretty damn good too. And you’ll also hear about Jonathan’s absolutely nightmarish week of travel, which, on the plus side, gave him a lot of time on planes to binge the first 3 seasons of Attack on Titan.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:29

Jonathan’s Travel Stories: 0:06:29 – 0:31:47

Jujutsu Kaisen: 0:31:47 – 2:57:13

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #420 – Gundam The Origin Manga Review and Sean & Jonathan’s Continuing Adventures in Elden Ring: Vol. 3

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 15 Mar 2022 05:00:00 +0000

We celebrate the 420th episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with absolutely no marijuana – but listeners are encouraged to blaze it – and instead stick to what truly gets us high: Mobile Suit Gundam and life-consuming video games. For the first hour, we continue recounting our journey through FromSoftware’s Elden Ring – which continues to be incredible – primarily discussing our time in the red wastes of Caelid and our glorious battle with Starscourge Radahn. Then, it’s time for another Gundam extravaganza, as we talk all about the Gundam: The Origin manga by the legendary Yoshikazu Yasuhiko. Serialized over a full decade, Yasuhiko’s manga is a virtuoso ‘comicalization’ of the original Gundam anime, realized in loving detail with some of the most incredible art one will ever lay eyes on. The ‘flashback arc’ from the middle of the manga was adapted for the OVA, but there’s much more material here, and for this episode, we talk about how Yasuhiko’s telling compares to the original TV series, what changes we like or dislike, and why Yasuhiko’s heavily ‘decompressed’ style is so immersive and involving.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:16:20

Elden Ring: 0:16:20 – 1:02:24

Gundam The Origin Manga: 1:02:24 – 3:12:56

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #419 – Reviewing THE BATMAN with Robert Pattinson

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 8 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

This week saw the release of Matt Reeves’ The Batman, the latest cinematic interpretation of the Caped Crusader, and by far the best one Hollywood has created to date. It’s the first Batman film to get essential parts of the character right – like the hard-boiled detective roots, commitment to not killing enemies, and even some genuinely aspirational heroism – Reeves’ film is a genuine neo-noir fueled by great performances from Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Paul Dano, and more, with jaw-dropping cinematography and one of the best superhero musical scores ever written courtesy of Michael Giacchino. We have a very fun time gushing over this excellent film, but we might be even more enthusiastic in our continuing coverage of FromSoftware’s Elden Ring, as we recount another week of play with what’s clearly establishing itself as one of the greatest – and most consistently surprising – games ever made.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:46

Elden Ring: 00:07:46 – 1:13:54

The Batman: 1:13:54 – 3:49:55

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #418 – Elden Ring Impressions and Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 2 Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 1 Mar 2022 06:00:00 +0000

With the hotly anticipated Season 2 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba having drawn to a close in Japan two weeks ago, we finally caught up with the astonishing run of episodes comprising the series’ “Entertainment District” Arc, which may just be the most impressively produced set of TV animation episodes we’ve ever seen. We spend a good long time gushing over the animation, the direction, the music, the voice acting, the characters, and everything else we can think to discuss about one of the best Shōnen anime ever made. But before all that, we’ve also got the surprise announcement of Pokémon’s 9th generation, reports of Call of Duty skipping 2022, and Sean’s continuing adventures hacking a refurbished Nintendo 2DS to talk about – and, oh yeah, the biggest video game launch of the year with From Software’s Elden Ring, which we give our first impressions on after a few days of play. It is, suffice to say, a sublime experience, even if we’ve got way more to play before doing a real ‘review.’

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:27

Pokemon and Call of Duty News: 0:02:27 – 0:24:22

Sean’s Homebrew 2DS Adventures: 0:24:22 – 0:34:55

Elden Ring: 0:34:55 – 1:08:44

Kimetsu no Yaiba: 1:08:44 – 3:36:22

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #417 – Genshin Impact 2.5, Nintendo Shenanigans, and Gundam The Origin Part VI Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

It’s a very busy week on the podcast, as we dive deep with both the Genshin Impact 2.5 update and Part VI of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, but before all that, Jonathan talks about his misadventures buying an OLED Nintendo Switch and trying to transfer content from his old Switch – it’s ludicrously difficult! – and we cover several pieces of news including the debut trailer for Amazon’s Lord of the Rings series, and Nintendo shuttering the 3DS and Wii U e-shops, ushering in a new golden age of video game piracy. Then we discuss the wonderful new content from this week’s excellent Genshin update, including an outstanding new story quest for Raiden Shogun and a cool set of adventures in Enkanomiya, before jumping into our latest Gundam talk. The Origin OVA comes to a spectacular end with its sixth and final installment, “Rise of the Red Comet,” in which Zeon decimates the Earth Federation at the Battle of Loum, Char Aznable becomes a legend, and General Johann Ibrahim Revil delivers a speech that will change the course of human history.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:04

Jonathan’s Nintendo Switch Transfer Misadventures: 0:06:04 – 0:26:48

News: 0:26:48 – 1:07:45

Genshin Impact 2.5 Discussion: 1:07:45 – 1:53:11

Gundam Origin VI: 1:53:11 – 3:51:56

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

PERSONA 5 ROYAL – The Complete Weekly Stuff Spoiler-Cast Discussions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 18 Feb 2022 16:00:00 +0000

In 2017, we discussed Atlus’ landmark JRPG Persona 5 so exhaustively that we collected all our conversations into a single 10-hour super-podcast that become our most listened-to episode ever. Since Persona 5 Royal – the updated, reworked version of the game – released in 2020, we’ve gotten countless requests to update our magnum opus, and after recording another 4 hours of discussion on The Royal, we’ve done just that! This 14.5-hour mega-podcast contains all of our original Persona 5 discussions – re-edited and remastered from the original audio files – plus 4 additional hours of discussion on Persona 5 Royal, all edited into a new epic-length spoiler-cast that delves into every possible facet of this masterpiece in excruciating detail!

This podcast consists of eight parts. In Part 1, Sean and Jonathan introduce Persona 5 Royal, talk about exactly what this episode and project is, and also discuss at length something we never got to talk about the first time around, which is the brilliant Japanese vocal cast of the game. Then in Part 2, we’ll be jumping back in time to 2017 for our original series of podcast discussions on Persona 5, with each segment from Parts 2 through 5 discussing two palaces or story arcs apiece, as we dive deep in discussing every facet of the story and gameplay along the way. In Part 6, we give what were in 2017 our final wrap-up thoughts on the originally released version of Persona 5, and then in Part 7, we jump over to The Royal, and discuss all the changes to gameplay mechanics this version introduces. And finally in Part 8, we go deep with the new story material and characters of Persona 5 Royal, and fully reflect on this new, definitive version of this masterpiece of a game.

We are truly proud and excited to share this behemoth of an episode – you won’t find a more exhaustive spoiler-cast discussion of Persona 5 Royal anywhere else on the internet. Enjoy.

Time Chart:

Opening: 00:00:00 – 00:04:26

I. Intro & Cast Discussions: 00:04:26 – 01:20:39

II. Palaces 1 & 2: 01:20:39 – 04:10:13

III. Palaces 3 & 4: 04:10:13 – 05:30:29

IV. Palaces 5 & 6: 05:30:29 – 07:40:24

V. Palaces 7 & 8: 07:40:24 – 09:54:14

VI. Original Version Wrap-up: 09:54:14 – 11:48:04

VII. The Royal Discussion – Mechanics: 11:48:04 – 12:29:12

VIII. The Royal Discussion – Story: 12:29:12 – 14:31:10

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #416 – Nintendo Direct News & Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin Part V Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

This week brought the first Nintendo Direct presentation of 2022, and if it wasn’t the most earth-shattering event ever, it sure brought a lot to love for fans of obscure JRPGs and/or sports games. We discuss all the news in depth, talk a little more Genshin Impact, and even spend a good 15 minutes gushing over the recent run of classic Doctor Who Blu-ray sets, before diving into Part V of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. “Clash at Loum” delivers not only the OVA’s finest episode, but one of the single most memorable and powerful installments in the 40-year history of Gundam. Dramatizing Zeon’s disastrous colony drop operation, Sayla Mass making a stand at Side 5, Ramba Ral and Crowley Hamon bemoaning the loss of a world that’s passed them by, and Char Aznable taking the final, ultimate step towards becoming the legendary Red Comet, this episode is absolutely overflowing with pantheon-level sequences that are among the greatest Gundam has ever given us, all combining to paint a deeply affecting portrait of a world spun entirely out of control. This is as good as it gets.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:47

Stuff: 0:04:47 – 0:33:45

Nintendo Direct: 0:33:45 – 1:19:02

Gundam Origin V: 1:19:02 – 3:15:44

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #415 – The PERSONA 5 ROYAL Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 11 Feb 2022 16:00:00 +0000

Nearly five years ago now, Atlus’ Persona 5 released in the United States and took our hearts, compelling us to record several weeks’ worth of spoiler-cast discussions on the game that we later compiled into a 10.5-hour mega-podcast that quickly became our most popular episode ever! Since Persona 5 Royal – the updated, reworked version of the game – released in 2020, we’ve gotten countless requests for a Royal-specific follow-up episode. And now that we’ve both finally had time to sit down and play all 120+ hours of this absolute behemoth of a game, we’re back with just that: A solid 4-hour review and discussion of Persona 5 Royal, breaking down everything new – including the tremendous new extra arc, reworked ending, and new and reworked characters like Yoshizawa, Maruki, and Akechi – and reveling in what very well might be the greatest video game ever made. It’s been too long since we devoted an entire episode to Persona, but we hope we’ve made up for the wait with this extra-long bonus episode!

Enjoy!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #414 – Sony Buys Bungie & Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin Part IV Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 8 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

This week saw another major acquisition in the world of gaming as Sony, makers of PlayStation, purchased Bungie – the original makers of Halo, Xbox’s most iconic franchise – for a cool $3.6 billion. We discuss the implications of this deal for the future of PlayStation and Destiny, but that’s not the only Halo-adjacent talk this week, as we also make fun of the awful new trailer for the Halo TV series and revisit the anemic, struggling Halo Infinite multiplayer a few months after release. Sean also review the Violet Evergarden movie now streaming on Netflix, and we gush some more over Genshin Impact before diving into our next Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin review. Part IV, Eve of Destiny, is a messier installment than others in this series, failing to find as clear or compelling a through-line as prior or upcoming episodes, even as it contains plenty of great moments including the first meeting between Char and Lalah, a powerful ending scene with Amuro and Fraw Bow, and an absolutely dynamite centerpiece action sequence on the moon. There’s more than enough here to discuss and enjoy, even if it’s all something of a stepping stone to some of The Origin’s best material yet to come.

Enjoy, and come back this Friday, February 11th, for a very special bonus episode containing our long-awaited, extremely belated, 4-hour-long review and discussion of Persona 5 Royal!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:54

Genshin Impact: 0:03:54 – 0:14:26

Sean Talks Violet Evergarden: 0:14:26 – 0:21:00

Halo Infinite Multiplayer: 0:21:00 – 0:38:02

News: 0:38:02 – 1:12:24

Gundam Origin IV: 1:12:24 – 2:41:50

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #413 – Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin Part III Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 1 Feb 2022 06:00:00 +0000

A legend is born in Part III of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin – Dawn of Rebellion, which sees Casval Rem Deikun adopt – er, violently steal – the identity of Char Aznable, and gradually develop the colorful, calculating persona made so iconic in Gundam ’79. It’s one of the most entertaining episodes in the history of Gundam, an archetypal military academy story built on the foundation of Char’s twisted friendship with Garma Zabi, and all leading inexorably towards the horrors of the One-Year War. We discuss that at length as today’s main topic, but before diving into Gundam, you’ll also hear Sean talk about Genshin Impact, hear Jonathan’s thoughts on (finally!) watching HBO’s venerable masterpiece Deadwood, and learn our reaction to the latest slew of Doctor Who rumors!

Enjoy, and come back next week for our long-awaited, extremely belated review and discussion of Persona 5 Royal!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:26:50

Gundam Origin Part III: 0:26:50 – 1:57:11

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #412 – Microsoft Buys Activision Blizzard & Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin Part II Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 25 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

The big news in gaming this week – and probably all year, and maybe all decade – was news of Microsoft’s intent to purchase Activision Blizzard King, one of the last major third party publishers standing in the West, for $69 billion, an astronomical and purely theoretical sum of money that makes us extremely depressed about the capitalist hellscape we all inhabit. After attempting to wrap our heads around that news, it’s on to another adventure in the world of Gundam, as our journey through the past of the Universal Century continues with Part II of Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin. One of the most heart-wrenching installments in the series, Artesia’s Sorrow is a fantastic hour with more than enough to make it worth the full podcast treatment, and we once again find countless things to talk about breaking it down.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:06:01

Microsoft News: 0:06:01 – 0:38:41

Gundam Origin Part II: 0:38:41 – 2:18:02

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #411 – Mobile Suit Gundam The Origin Part I Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 18 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

For our first Gundam discussion of the New Year, we’re beginning our journey through Mobile Suit Gundam: The Origin, the 6-part theatrical OVA created between 2015 and 2018, based on Yoshikazu Yasuhiko’s manga of the same name. And to give this great series the royal treatment it deserves, we’re covering it one episode at a time! For this week, we’re discussing Part I: Blue-Eyed Casval, where we return to Universal Century 0068 in the Republic of Munzo, where a young Casval Rem Deikun and his sister Artesia see the world thrown into chaos after the death of their father, the revolutionary leader Zeon Zum Deikun. It’s a great debut episode for one of the best prequel stories ever told, but if you’re not into Gundam, we’ve also got a half-hour of Stuff at the top of the podcast, with Sean telling us all about the first Kimetsu no Yaiba game, The Hinokami Chronicles, and Jonathan telling us about his fancy new computer!

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:59

Kimetsu no Yaiba Game: 0:01:59 – 0:15:38

Jonathan’s fancy new computer: 0:15:38 – 0:30:14

Gundam The Origin: 0:30:14 – 2:18:44

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #410 – The Top 10 Video Games of 2021

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 11 Jan 2022 06:00:00 +0000

For our first episode of 2022, we’re taking a look back at the best video games of 2021! It was a slower and more unpredictable year for games than we’ve had in a while, with more releases impacted by pandemic delays and the new-generation consoles continuing to be hard to find, but there were still plenty of truly memorable highlights, from the madcap horror insanity of Resident Evil Village, to the thrillingly silly assassinations of Hitman 3, to the first new Metroid 2D adventure in almost 20 years, to a landmark year of updates for the outstanding Genshin Impact. Sean and Jonathan talk about all these and much more with our individual Top 10 lists, along with a few honorable mentions, Jonathan’s list of the Top 5 Games Not-quite of 2021, and look forward to what’s sure to be another busy year for the podcast!

Enjoy!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Jonathan Lack's Top 10 Films of 2021

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 31 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

In this special bonus episode, Jonathan Lack, co-host of The Weekly Stuff Podcast, shares his Top 10 Films of 2021 (and more!).

You can read or follow along with the text version of this piece at http://www.jonathanlack.com/2021/12/jonathan-lacks-top-10-films-of-2021.html

2021 was yet another terrible year for the world, but it turned out to be one of the greatest years for cinema in my lifetime. The last time I felt this strongly about a year’s worth of movies was 2014 – and before that, 2007, and 2001. Every six or seven years, it seems, we get one of these remarkable years, a convergence of established masters at the height of their craft and bold new voices establishing lasting legacies, with unexpected pleasures coming at us from all directions.

I loved so many films this year so passionately that in addition to the main Top 10, we’ve got an additional 10 runners-up, bringing us to a nice even Top 20, and then five extra ‘leftovers’ I would have felt bad ignoring, so I guess it’s kind of a Top 25. #20-11 have paragraph-length capsule statements, but for the Top 10, I went all out, penning either a mini-review or a short essay for each. That means this is one of the longest pieces I’ve ever published. But the movies this year deserved it, and since I didn’t get to write many public-facing pieces on film this year, I owed it to myself to spend some time writing about all these works that meant so much to me.

Ok then. Deep breath. Here we go.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:03:41

Part 1 - Leftovers: 0:03:41 - 0:05:21

Part 2 - Honorable Mentions: 0:05:21 - 0:17:48

Part 3 - The Top 10 Films of 2021: 0:17:48 - 1:10:17

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #409 – Reviewing THE MATRIX RESURRECTIONS

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

For the final Weekly Stuff Podcast of 2021, we are reviewing Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix Resurrections, the new entry in the Matrix franchise coming a whole 18 years after Reloaded and Revolutions landed in 2003. We did full in-depth revisitations of the original Matrix trilogy on episodes 398, 401, and 402, and this discussion is a great follow-up on those conversations, as we dive deep with this ambitious, challenging sequel that sees Wachowski updating the Matrix – the world and the characters, but also the franchise itself and its many eclectic themes – for a world that’s changed an awful lot in the last 20 years. Sean and Jonathan disagree on exactly how effective the film is on its own terms, but we’re in complete harmony on it being an interesting, passionate idea that’s more than worthy of spending a few hours discussing.

Thanks so much for listening throughout 2021, and we look forward to seeing you all in the 2022 for a whole new year of The Weekly Stuff Podcast!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #408 – A Very Weekly Suit Gundam Christmas Special

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sat, 25 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

We’re here to wish you a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays with our 4th annual Weekly Stuff Podcast Christmas Special! After reviewing the Pokemon Christmas Bash album in 2018, reading through a Western-themed Evangelical Christian rendering of A Christmas Carol in 2019, and reviewing the extremely festive/psychosexual Christmas masterpiece Batman Returns in 2020, we’re back for another season of mayhem – and this time, it’s a crossover with Weekly Suit Gundam! For this Christmas, Jonathan has found several pieces (out of a surprisingly large sea of options) of Christmas-themed Mobile Suit Gundam fanfiction, set in the worlds of Gundam Wing, Gundam SEED, and Mobile Fighter G Gundam, and he surprises Sean on air by inviting him to read them out loud. A festive, flabbergasted, and altogether confusing time is had by all.

We here at The Weekly Stuff Podcast wish you and yours a very happy holiday, and look forward to seeing you next week for our final episode of 2021, with our review of The Matrix Resurrections.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #407 – Spider-Man: No Way Home Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Hollywood’s biggest release of the year is here with Spider-Man: No Way Home, the third entry in the MCU’s incarnation of Spidey, and Sean and Jonathan disagree on it pretty heavily at the outset. Sean liked it a lot, while Jonathan…didn’t. But it makes for a really engaging discussion where we find more consensus than initially anticipated, and Jonathan finds himself wanting to give the movie another chance in the future. Before the big Spidey review, though, we also talk a bit about playing Persona 5 Royal and Persona 5 Strikers, Jonathan talks about listening to some excellent recent Doctor Who releases from Big Finish, and we discuss finishing the Halo Infinite campaign. All this and more on our first episode in our new Tuesday timeslot, as The Weekly Stuff Podcast is moving from Mondays to Tuesdays going forward (with a Monday night premiere every week at 7:00 PM CT on our YouTube channel – www.youtube.com/c/TheWeeklyStuffPodcast)

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:48

Persona Stuff: 0:07:48 – 0:27:27

Doctor Who Stuff: 0:27:27 – 0:41:00

Halo Infinite Stuff: 0:41:00 – 1:06:28

Spider-Man No Way Home: 1:06:28 – 3:00:12

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #406 – Halo Infinite Campaign & Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 2 Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 14 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

This week saw both the big video game advertising show called The Game Awards and the release of Halo: Infinite’s surprisingly good campaign, and we discuss both of those before diving into another Weekly Suit Gundam extravaganza reviewing the second season of Iron-Blooded Orphans. It’s safe to say we were big fans of the first season, and as the length of this podcast can attest, we are even more invested in the big thematic, narrative, and emotional swings the show takes in its second and final season. As it traces the fall of Tekkadan, Iron-Blooded Orphans challenges its characters and audience with a story that’s richer, more complicated, and intentionally structured very differently than the first season, with an absolutely knockout set of final episodes that cross many lines Gundam has never ventured past before, and somehow comes out on the other side seeing more hope in the world than the franchise has seen in its darkest hours. It’s an all-time great finish to a truly tremendous show, and even with an extra-long 4-hour podcast, there’s still so much that could be said about this modern masterpiece.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:28

Game Awards Stuff: 0:05:28 – 0:34:02

Halo Infinite Campaign: 0:34:02 – 1:11:41

Iron-Blooded Orphans 2 – Iron-Blooded Boogaloo: 1:11:41 – 5:10:59

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #405 – Halo Infinite, Xbox Series S, Guardians of the Galaxy, Persona 5 Royal & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 Dec 2021 06:00:00 +0000

After taking last week off due to the Thanksgiving holiday, we’re back with a veritable menagerie of stuff for you this week. First up, we hit two pieces of news – the first teaser trailer for Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse (Part One) and a Bloomberg report about Sony planning a new PlayStation subscription to compete with Xbox Game Pass – before diving into a big array of game content. Sean talks about getting the Xbox Series S (which Jonathan has too), and replaying all the Halo campaigns for the first time in years. Then we review the very bad Halo Infinite multiplayer suite, and talk about how baffling it is to see the gaming press treat this predatory free-to-play mess with such kid gloves. Jonathan reviews Square Enix’s surprisingly wonderful Guardians of the Galaxy game after picking it up on Black Friday, and Sean talks about finishing Persona 5 Royal and starting to wade into Persona 5 Strikers.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro/Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:15:37

News: 0:15:37 – 0:40:02

Xbox Series S Talk: 0:40:02 – 0:59:15

Sean Revisits Halo 1 – 5: 0:59:15 – 1:25:00

Halo Infinite Multiplayer Talk: 1:25:00 – 1:52:13

Jonathan Reviews Guardians of the Galaxy: 1:52:13 – 2:17:17

Sean Talks Persona 5 Strikers & Royal: 2:17:17 – 2:45:12

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #404 – Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans Season 1 Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

We’ve finally arrived at the most recent mainline Gundam TV series on our Weekly Suit Gundam journey! But before diving into that, we also give thoughts on Halo Infinite’s multiplayer launch, Jonathan’s early impressions of Pokemon Brilliant Diamond, and more news about the unfathomably awful environment that is Activision Blizzard. Then it’s on to 2015’s Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans. Tackling the theme of child soldiers more directly than Gundam ever had before, Iron-Blooded Orphans is one of Gundam’s darkest and most violent hours, but also one of its richest and most rewarding, a unique blend of daily life coming-of-age storytelling with hard-edged military fiction that leaves a huge impact. Season 1, which we’re discussing today, follows the formation of the child-mercenary group Tekkadan – the eponymous Orphans with Iron in their Blood – and their journey to bring Martian independence activist Kudelia Aina Bernstein to Earth. It’s a stupendous season of television with tons to talk about, and a pleasure to finally reach and discuss.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:02

Jonathan talks Forza and Pokemon: 0:04:02 – 0:16:39

Halo Infinite: 0:16:39 – 0:38:30

Activision Sucks: 0:38:30 – 0:49:00

Gundam Iron-Blooded Orphans: 0:49:00 – 3:47:27

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Podcast #403 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone 20th Anniversary Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 16 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is dedicated to Trans Awareness Week and Mermaids UK, a group supporting transgender, non-binary, and gender diverse children and their families. We are running a fundraiser to benefit the group and encourage listeners to contribute. Please click here to donate.

Today – November 16th, 2021 – is 20 years to the day since Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone arrived in American theaters, the first film adaptation of (noted bigot) J.K. Rowling’s worldwide sensation. Jonathan was a die-hard Harry Potter fan growing up, while Sean was a dedicated anti-Potter grump – but neither of us could escape the specter of this franchise even if we wanted to. For the 20th anniversary, we take a look back at this first film in particular – what it gets right in making this world feel special, and what it gets wrong in sticking too slavishly to source material that isn’t particularly cinematic. We talk the actors, the sets, John Williams’ music, and so much more – and reflect on how we see the film and Harry Potter’s legacy differently 20 years later. Before the Potter talk, though, you’ll also hear Jonathan’s thoughts on the outstanding Forza Horizon 5 for Xbox Series S/X, and Jonathan challenges Sean in a game to recap this week’s bottom-of-the-IP-barrel-scraping Disney+ news.

Enjoy! And please consider donating to Mermaids UK to support trans youth if your are able.

Plain text link for our fundraiser: https://tiltify.com/@jonathanlack/weeklystuffpodcast

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:11:05

Forza Horizon 5: 0:11:05 – 0:29:08

Disney+ News: 0:29:08 – 1:02:15

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: 1:02:15 – 3:23:39

Harry Potter Memories: 3:23:39 – 3:40:38

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #402 – Revisiting THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS (2003)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Nov 2021 06:00:00 +0000

We finish our journey through the original Matrix trilogy this week with 2003’s The Matrix Revolutions, following up on our discussion of the original in episode #398 and The Matrix Reloaded in last week’s #401. We have some minor points of disagreement here, but largely share the view that The Matrix went out on a rousing high note, with a focused and propulsive final installment that puts big ideas front and center, and sees them through to an extremely powerful ending. It’s a great discussion, and before all that, you’ll also hear Jonathan review the (very very very bad) Marvel movie Eternals, Sean talk a bit more about Persona 5 Royal, and hear about a weird impulse buy Sean made from Japan.

Enjoy! And come back next week (on Tuesday, instead of our usual Monday) as we mark the 20th anniversary of the film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on November 16th!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:29

Sean talks Persona 5 Royal: 0:03:29 – 0:09:15

Jonathan’s Giant Robots Film Club: 0:09:20 – 0:19:59

Eternals is bad: 0:19:59 – 0:37:53

Sean’s surprise impulse purchase: 0:37:53 – 0:44:57

The Matrix Revolutions: 0:44:57 – 3:25:29

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #401 – Revisiting THE MATRIX RELOADED (2003)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 Nov 2021 05:00:00 +0000

In anticipation of this December’s Matrix Resurrections, we return to the world of The Matrix with 2003’s The Matrix Reloaded, following up on our discussion of the original film in episode #398. Jonathan is a passionate defender of the Matrix sequels, and Sean hasn’t seen them in many years, and while we don’t agree entirely on how much everything works in this ambitious second installment, we absolutely believe this is a dense, fascinating film full of big, compelling ideas that are very much worth discussing in depth – as we do here for a full three hours! From the bold statement of embodied humanity that is the Zion rave, to the outrageous French stylings of the Merovingian, to the longest freeway chase ever, to the Oracle and the Architect confronting Neo with the nature of ‘free will,’ The Matrix Reloaded gives us plenty to talk about, and with one movie still to go, makes this trip down Matrix memory lane very much worth the journey.

Come back next week as we finish the original Matrix trilogy with our look back at THE MATRIX REVOLUTIONS!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #400 – 400th Episode Celebration Spectacular! Dune Review, Batman Trailer, and Sean & Jonathan Play 20 Questions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Our landmark 400th episode is one of our longest and most entertaining episodes to date, packed with news – including announcements out of DC Fandome and trailers for both The Batman (yay!) and Uncharted (nay!) – reviews – Sean talks Far Cry 6, Jonathan discusses the Xbox Series S and The Ascent, and we both give our thoughts on Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation – and a whole lot of celebration! We read a big batch of listener mail, featuring some of your favorite memories from 400 episodes and questions for the future, and then for our big topic, Sean and Jonathan interview each other! Both hosts prepared 20 questions ahead of time without telling the other what they contained, and put each other in the hot seat to see if there’s anything we’ve been holding back for 400 episodes.

Thank you all so much for being along for the ride for this insane number of podcasts! And we’re not running out of steam any time soon – be sure to come back next week for our retrospective of The Matrix Reloaded!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:22

Sean talks Far Cry 6: 0:04:22 – 0:15:58

Jonathan talks Xbox Series S & The Ascent: 0:15:58 – 0:38:20

News: 0:38:20 – 1:28:08

Dune: 1:28:08 – 2:02:00

Listener Mail: 2:02:00 – 2:54:05

Jonathan Interviews Sean: 2:54:05 – 3:40:31

Sean Interviews Jonathan: 3:40:31 – 4:29:54

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #399 - Gundam Reconguista in G Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

This week’s show is another Weekly Suit Gundam spectacular, but before reviewing Reconguista in G, Jonathan gives some final thoughts on the outstanding Metroid Dread, and we discuss some recent Nintendo news, including the addition of Sora from Kingdom Hearts to Super Smash Bros., and the unveiling of Nintendo’s laughably expensive Switch online expansion. Then it’s on to Reconguista in G, the latest Gundam entry from franchise creator Yoshiyuki Tomino, and perhaps the strangest and most formally daring of all Gundam series. Dense, complicated, wildly fast-paced, and persistently challenging, Reconguista is a divisive entry among the global Gundam fandom, but here at Weekly Suit Gundam, we are in awe of it. There is simply nothing quite like Reconguista in G, which sees Tomino turning up all his thematic and stylistic interests to 11, resulting in one of the purest auteur statements in modern mainstream media. With the best action sequences in the history of Gundam, arguably franchise-best TV animation, amazing and vibrant characters, and a structure that practically re-invents the language of anime before your eyes, Reconguista in G is an endlessly rewarding artistic gauntlet.

Enjoy, and come back next week for our very special landmark 400th episode!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:08

Metroid Dread Final Thoughts: 0:06:08 – 0:12:59

Nintendo News: 0:12:59 – 0:40:36

Reconguista in G: 0:40:36 – 4:20:29

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The Weekly Stuff #398 – Revisiting THE MATRIX (1999)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

With The Matrix Resurrections arriving in theaters this December, we are finally – almost 400 episodes into this damn podcast – taking our long-awaited look back at one of the single most seminal films of our lifetimes: The Wachowski Sisters’ The Matrix, a movie that is either at or very near the upper threshold of how good it is possible for big Hollywood studio filmmaking to be. This is such an impossibly rich movie to discuss, with its potent, multi-valent central metaphor opening up countless avenues of conversation, including reading the film through the lenses of Marxism or transgender experience, but it’s also just ridiculously entertaining and well-constructed, with terrific performances, beautiful writing, and thrilling action drawing from influences like Wuxia, martial arts, John Woo, anime, and so much more. It’s some of the most fun we’ve ever had talking about a movie on this podcast, but it’s only part of this week’s episode; in this first hour, you’ll also hear Jonathan’s thoughts on Daniel Craig’s final 007 film, No Time to Die, and the out-of-body greatness of Metroid Dread on Nintendo Switch, and Sean’s final impressions of Lost Judgment after finishing the latest masterpiece from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios.

Enjoy, and come back next week for episode 399 and our next Weekly Suit Gundam extravaganza with Reconguista in G!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:55

No Time to Die: 0:07:55 – 0:22:56

Lost Judgment: 0:22:56 – 0:42:30

Metroid Dread: 0:42:30 – 1:01:30

Revisiting The Matrix: 1:01:30 – 3:59:29

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #397 – Deathloop, Lost Judgment, Nintendo Direct, Mario Casting, Doctor Who News & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Oct 2021 05:00:00 +0000

This week’s show – kicking off our October “Road to 400” podcast episodes! – is a fun grab-bag of topics, as we review Deathloop from Arkane Studios, Sean gives first impressions of Lost Judgment from Ryu Ga Gotoku Studios, and we cover a mountain of interesting news, from details on the imminent 2nd season of Kimetsu no Yaiba, to a surprise Nintendo Direct packed with interesting announcements and an absolutely horrifying slate of celerity casting for the upcoming animated Mario Bros. movie, and the reveal of Russell T Davies’ return to Doctor Who for the show’s upcoming 60th anniversary! All this and more – including Sean’s thoughts on Star Wars Visions and more stories from Jonathan’s “Giant Robots on Screen!” class – round out an episode that kicks off a very busy October in style!

Enjoy, and come back next week for episode #398, where we’ll begin our Matrixfranchise retrospective with the original Matrix from 1999!

Time Chart:

Intro/Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:19:59

Lost Judgment: 0:19:59 – 0:34:22

News: 0:34:22 – 1:25:38

Deathloop: 1:25:38 – 1:55:38

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The Weekly Stuff #396 – Gundam Build Fighters OVA Round-up!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After reviewing the original Gundam Build Fighters and its sequel series Gundam Build Fighters Try on our last two Weekly Suit Gundam topics, it’s time to round out the original Build Fighters run by rounding-up the many OVAs related to this corner of the franchise. We begin with Model Suit Gunpla Builders Beginning G, the 2010 OVA that first introduced the concept of a Gunpla Battle-based anime, and holds up surprisingly well on its own, with great animation and mecha designs and a whole lot of heart. Then there’s the 5 Battlogue episodes, providing quick bite stories set in the Build Fighters world, and apart from one memorable episode involving Bearguys getting crucified, there’s not much to talk about. Finally, Build Fighters Try gets a 30-minute sequel in Island Wars, and the original Build Fighters gets its own half-hour follow-up in GM’s Counterattack, which is an absolute delight. Discussing all of these and more makes for a very fun capper to our Build Fighters journey.

(Please note this week’s episode was pre-recorded a week in advance, so breaking news from the last week on Doctor Who and the latest Nintendo Direct aren’t discussed here – we’ll catch up on all that next Monday!)

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The Weekly Stuff #395 – Gundam Build Fighters Try Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 20 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

It’s another Weekly Suit Gundam extravaganza this week as we dive into the sequel to the wonderful Gundam Build Fighters – Gundam Build Fighters Try, set 7 years after the original with a new cast of Gunpla battlers. It’s a divisive show in the Gundam fandom, and on this podcast! Jonathan loves it, though not without some reservations, and Sean is mostly unmoved by it, despite liking certain things quite a bit. It makes for an interesting and dynamic discussion, as we break down the ways the show doesn’t live up to its predecessor and fails to follow through on its own interesting ideas, while also celebrating what’s genuinely good here. We also give our thoughts on the recent announcement of both the first new mainline Gundam series since Iron-Blooded Orphans, The Witch from Mercury, and a new film by original Gundam character designer Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, Cucuruz Doan’s Island, both of which ensure the Gundam train won’t be stopping anytime soon.

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The Weekly Stuff #394 – Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 13 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We’re diving into the Marvel’s latest movie this week, and it might also be one of their greatest: Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is a blast, featuring the best action set-pieces in Marvel movie history, the best performance in the studio’s long run courtesy of the legendary Tony Leung, and a heartfelt, imaginative story that confidently reinvents the title character’s world and mythos into something we’re all excited to see much more of going forward. We discuss the film at length in spoiler detail, but before that, we also discuss all the news out of this week’s big PlayStation event – including the unveiling of God of War: Ragnarok, Spider-Man 2, and Wolverine – and gush about the incredible trailer for Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix Resurrections.

Time Chart:

Intro/Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:17:50

News: 0:17:50 – 0:59:00

Shang-Chi: 0:59:00 – 2:27:11

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The Weekly Stuff #393 – Marvel Disney+ Shows Round-up & Genshin Impact 2.1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 Sep 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We were supposed to review Marvel’s latest blockbuster Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings this week, but in a strange twist of fate Sean arrived at the theater to find they’d just burst a pipe and had to shut down. So instead, we’re catching up on a few Marvel properties from 2021 we haven’t yet reviewed on the podcast: WandaVision, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and Loki, the first three Disney+ entries in the MCU canon, two of which we have slightly-to-mostly different opinions on, one of which we love a ton, and all of which serve as an interesting way to catch up on Marvel after many months without talking about them. We also dive deep with the 2.1 update for Genshin Impact, including the excellent conclusion to the Inazuma story and the excellence of Raiden Shogun, and Sean talks about playing the new ‘Director’s Cut’ DLC for Ghost of Tsushima.

Time Chart:

Intro/Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:22:03

Genshin Impact 2.1: 0:22:03 – 1:02:25

Marvel Shows Intro: 1:02:25 – 1:09:55

WandaVision: 1:09:55 – 1:35:35

Falcon & Winter Snowman: 1:35:35 – 2:07:12

Loki: 2:07:12 – 2:42:25

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The Weekly Stuff #392 – Gundam Build Fighters Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After an opening segment where we discuss Sean’s final thoughts on Returnal, Jonathan finally jumping in 4 years later to Horizon Zero Dawn, and our reactions to the Spider-Man: No Way Home trailer, it’s time for another Weekly Suit Gundam extravaganza! This time it’s 2013’s Gundam Build Fighters, where Gundam leaves the world of life-and-death warfare and science-fiction (mostly) behind, and instead settles in for a slice-of-life sports anime centered around the Gunpla plastic models that have long been one of the most beloved and popular parts of the franchise’s legacy. And in a wonderful surprise, it winds up being one of the franchise’s finest hours, a practically perfect 25-episode series chock full of great, vibrant characters, big laughs, awesome Gunpla designs, and truly rousing, get-on-your-feet-and-cheer caliber mobile suit duels. Whether you’re a Gundam novice or a grizzled veteran, Gundam Build Fighters has something for everyone. It’s as entertaining an anime as you’re likely to find, and maybe the most crowd-pleasing installment in the franchise’s stories history – and because of that, it’s a real treat to get to talk about here.

Time Chart:

Intro/Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:32:22

News: 0:32:22 – 0:45:50

Gundam Build Fighters: 0:45:50 – 3:33:42

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The Weekly Stuff #391 – Listener Mail, Sonic 2 Casting, Halo News, The Great Jeopardy Debacle & more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 23 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After last week’s marathon Evangelion podcast, we’re back with a shorter, more grab-bag style episode, where we answer a chunk of listener questions on everything from Gundam to comic books to Super Sentai. Before that, though, we also have a big list of news items to get through, from the Great Jeopardy Host Debacle, to Halo: Infinite announcing it will release without co-op campaign or Forge, to the unveiling of the latest Call of Duty, to Criterion finally getting in on the 4K game, to Idris Elba being cast as Knuckles in Sonic the Hedgehog 2, which leads to us playing a round of fantasy celebrity casting with the entire Sonic cast. More thoughts on Genshin Impact and Sean’s first impressions of Returnal on PS5 round out the episode.

Time Chart:

Intro/Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:17:53

News: 0:17:53 – 1:19:32

Listener Mail: 1:19:32 – 2:00:07

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The Weekly Stuff #390 – Rebuild of Evangelion Film Tetralogy Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Almost two years ago, we reviewed Neon Genesis Evangelion upon its Netflix streaming debut, and promised that we’d come back to discuss Eva again if and when the 4-film Rebuild of Evangelion project was ever finished. And with the final film in Hideaki Anno’s lifelong passion project, Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon a Time, now streaming worldwide (alongside the first three films) on Amazon Prime, we’re keeping our word and then some, with our longest Weekly Suit Gundam episode to date! We discuss all four films in the Rebuild project, diving deep into how these masterpieces fully realize the magic that was always there in Evangelion, but for us at least was held beneath the surface by frustrating and limiting creative choices in the original series. These are great, beautifully told, stunningly animated productions that give Shinji, Asuka, Rei, Misato, and everyone else the fully realized character arcs they’ve always deserved, and ends in a place that feels like Evangelion has finally found the conclusion it was always searching for. And that’s more than enough to fill a super-sized podcast.

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The Weekly Stuff #389 - The Suicide Squad Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 9 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

For the first time since before the pandemic, we’re devoting the show to a brand new Hollywood movie: James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, the standalone sequel/very expensive apology for 2016’s atrocious, definite-article-lacking Suicide Squad, and while it’s not a film we both like equally, it’s definitely one we each enjoyed, and which offers a lot of fun things to talk about. Before the movie review, though, you’ll also hear Sean review some recent anime he’s been watching – including Godzilla: Singular Point and Violet Evergarden, both on Netflix – and Jonathan invades the Beta Corner to discuss this weekend’s Left 4 Dead 3 – er, Back 4 Blood – beta.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:12

Sean Talks Anime: 0:07:12 – 0:24:11

Stuff: 0:24:11 – 0:31:06

Back 4 Blood Beta: 0:31:06 – 0:42:58

The Suicide Squad: 0:42:58 – 2:19:51

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The Weekly Stuff #388 – Mobile Suit Gundam AGE Arcs 3 and 4 Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 2 Aug 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s main topic is another Weekly Suit Gundam extravaganza, as we finish up the underrated gem Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, but before that, there’s a solid 80 minutes of non-Gundam material, from Jonathan’s thoughts on David Lowery’s incredible The Green Knight to news of Jodie Whittaker and Chris Chibnall leaving Doctor Who, to Scarlett Johansson suing Disney over Black Widow, and the ongoing dumpster fire that is Activision/Blizzard’s response to serious allegations of endemic harassment and discrimination. And then it’s on to the 3rd and 4th arcs of Gundam Age, where the show makes another jump to a new generation, as we join young Kio Asuno on his journey to learn the true nature of the Vegan and their world, reunite with his pirate father, and to bring his grandfather Flit back from the brink of his vengeful vendetta. It all builds to an outstanding conclusion, with a truly terrific set of final episodes that brings the series full circle in powerful fashion, and along the way we have all sorts of fun and interesting things to talk about, making for a great discussion about a Gundam series that deserves a much better reputation than it’s previously enjoyed.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:25:58

News: 0:25:58 – 1:22:46

Gundam AGE Part 2: 1:22:46 – 4:13:07

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The Weekly Stuff #387 – The Genshin Impact 2.0 Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

With its massive 2.0 update going live this past week, we thought it was finally time to devote an episode to our favorite ongoing video game, Genshin Impact, the open-world Gacha sensation with some of the best writing, visuals, music, and world-building in the industry. We dive deep with the new 2.0 expansion, which adds the Japan-inspired island continent of Inazuma, lots of new story and character content, and much more, but we also discuss why we love the game in general, and why Western games media has largely missed the boat when it comes to one of the most exciting games on the market today. Before all that, we also discuss Dragon Ball and Doctor Who news out of Comic-Con and California’s landmark lawsuit against Activision Blizzard for endemic sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination. And Sean tells us the story of the difficult mystery TV left behind by previous owners of his new house in Texas.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:17:17

News: 0:17:17 – 0:52:29

Genshin Impact: 0:52:29 – 3:23:02

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #386 – Mobile Suit Gundam AGE Arcs 1 and 2 Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Today’s main topic is another Weekly Suit Gundam extravaganza, but before that, we also give first impressions on The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword HD for Nintendo Switch, react to Valve’s announcement of the Steam Deck portable PC gaming console, and talk about Jonathan’s nostalgic binge of American TV classic ER, and the wonderful, helicopter-related absurdities of the network TV dramas of yore. But then it’s time for Mobile Suit Gundam AGE, Sunrise’s 2011 collaboration with video game giant Level-5, whose lead creative Akihiro Hino conceived of and wrote this child-friendly Gundam series that spans 3 protagonists over 3 successive generations in a century-long space conflict. AGE did poorly upon its initial airing in Japan, and has suffered a quiet and often negative reputation in years since. But we don’t think that reputation is deserved – through its first two arcs, at least, AGE is an imperfect but extremely compelling show, with a really cool central narrative conceit, great characters, and some really interesting ideas that take Gundam to places it had never been before. At the very least, it’s a show worth giving a serious shot, and in this first part, covering Arcs 1 & 2 and episodes 1 through 28, we aim to do just that.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:37:40

News: 0:37:40 – 1:01:09

Gundam AGE: 1:01:09 – 4:00:12

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The Weekly Stuff #385 – Batman on Film Part 10: THE DARK KNIGHT RISES (2012) with Christian Bale

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Our Batman on Film series reaches the end of the Christopher Nolan era with 2012’s The Dark Knight Rises, the infuriatingly bad final chapter that amps the noxious politics, bad pacing, and frustrating characterization of the first two films up to 11. While Tom Hardy’s inspired performance as Bane is as entertaining as even, 9 years on it’s impossible to ignore the film’s terrible script, endlessly convoluted plotting, and elitist right-wing worldview complete with a strong dose of militaristic cop-aganda. This might be our most exasperated Batman discussion to date, but also one of the most engaging. And before all that, we’ve got an hour of stuff – like Jonathan’s adventures watching movies with Giant Robots – and news, including Nintendo’s OLED Switch announcement, the reveal of Assassin’s Creed Infinity, and the reveal of Genshin Impact’s big 2.0 update later this month.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:18:36

News: 0:18:36 – 0:57:07

The Dark Knight Rises: 0:57:07 – 3:44:57

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #384 - Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Jul 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After a little back-and-forth on the week’s stuff – including Jonathan finishing the outstanding Kimetsu no Yaiba (Demon Slayer) manga – and checking in on a few quick pieces of news, including Ghost of Tsushima getting a PS5 re-release in August, we dive straight into our latest Weekly Suit Gundam extravaganza with Mobile Suit Gundam: Hathaway. Premiering worldwide on Netflix this week after its debut in Japanese theaters last month, Hathaway is the first film in a planned trilogy adapting original Gundam creator Yoshiyuki Tomino’s trio of novels from 1989-1990, following the exploits of Hathaway Noa 12 years after the events of Char’s Counterattack. And it’s a terrific start to this new film series, offering some of the best animation, music, set pieces, and writing in the history of the franchise. From Tomino’s characteristically rich writing to the complex and nuanced vocal performances to how this story fits into the larger cycle of Tomino’s original Gundam saga, Hathaway’s Flash offers countless many rich avenues for discussion.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:26:26

News: 0:26:26 – 0:35:55

Gundam – Hathaway: 0:35:55 – 3:05:20

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #383 – Batman on Film Part 9: THE DARK KNIGHT (2008) with Christian Bale

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 28 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Our ongoing Batman on Film series reaches perhaps the single most iconic and influential film the Caped Crusader has yet starred in with 2008’s The Dark Knight. 13 years later, neither of us quite feel the way we do at the time, and find the movie ripe for reevaluation in a lot of ways. There are plenty of inarguably great elements on display here, from Heath Ledger’s epochal portrayal of the Joker to Hans Zimmer and James Newton Howard’s incredible score, but there are also a lot of structural and narrative shortcomings, and the movie’s Bush-era apologia really doesn’t sit right with us as adults. It makes for a complicated and compelling discussion, and before all that, Jonathan talks about Mario Golf: Super Rush, Sean belatedly plays Nioh 2, and we both take a few minutes to discuss the joys of Mechagodzilla.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:40

Stuff: 0:03:40 – 0:32:35

The Dark Knight: 0:32:35 – 3:22:52

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #382 – Weekly Suit Gundam 2-Year Anniversary Celebration & Rankings

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 24 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Two years ago today, our sister series podcast project Weekly Suit Gundam was born, and what a wild ride it’s been! Just as we did on its first anniversary, we’re using the show’s birthday to take stock of everything we’ve reviewed up to now. With a particular focus on the “Year Two” shows – namely G Saviour, 0080: War in the Pocket, 0083: Stardust Memory, The 08th MS Team, Gundam SEED, Gundam SEED Destiny, Gundam 00, and MS IGLOO – we rank the best mobile suits and best songs from the series we reviewed this year, and adjust our master rankings for those topics from last year’s anniversary show. For the main event, we each rank all 21 Gundam shows and movies we’ve reviewed these past two years, and then come together to create our complete, unified, official Weekly Suit Gundam series rankings thus far. With listener feedback, lots of reflections on the show’s second year, and a roadmap for year 3, today’s episode is a really fun trip down memory lane and a great start to the next, climactic phase of the series, as we inch closer to Gundam’s present day.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #381 – Nintendo at E3 2021 and Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 21 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We’ve got two big topics this week, starting with a wrap-up of E3 2021, which we mostly covered in last week’s show, but wrapped up on Tuesday with Nintendo, by far the best showcase of the event. With big surprises like Metroid Dread, welcome new entries in the WarioWare and Mario Party series, our best look yet at Shin Megami Tensei V, and our first gameplay footage from the Breath of the Wild sequel, it was a great show that put everyone else at E3 to shame. After that, we dive deep with Insomniac’s incredible Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, an outstanding PS5 exclusive that offers great storytelling, nigh-perfect gameplay, and some of the most amazing technical accomplishments we’ve ever seen in a game. It gets our highest recommendation, and it’s a ton of fun to talk about.

Enjoy, and come back on Thursday for a second podcast this week, with our Weekly Suit Gundam2-Year Anniversary Celebration!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:46

Stuff, including Sean’s Beta Corner: 0:05:46 – 0:30:06

E3 News & Nintendo: 0:30:06 – 1:22:01

Ratchet & Clank Rift Apart: 1:22:01 – 2:52:34

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #380 – E3 2021 Analysis Spectacular! (Part 1) – “The E3 That Almost Wasn’t, But Then Was”

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After being cancelled in 2020, E3 – the Electronic Entertainment Expo, aka “That Week With All the Video Game Trailers” – is back, sort of, for 2021, in entirely online form. And as we’ve done since the beginning, we’re covering all of it, with today’s episode going over the shows from Ubisoft, Microsoft/Bethesda, Square Enix, and the Summer Games Fest, with Sean’s traditionally exhaustive and/or obsessive notes as our guide! It’s not a particularly good E3 so far, but with looks at Elden Ring, Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope, Forza Horizon 5, Babylon’s Fall, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 and more, there’s still plenty of interesting stuff to talk about. And before we dive into the E3 news, we also break down some interesting news from the world of Gundam, and give first impressions of Insomniac’s PS5 exclusive Ratchet + Clank: Rift Apart, which is pretty wonderful so far.

Enjoy, and come back next week for the rest of our E3 coverage, including Nintendo’s showcase!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:43

Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart Impressions: 0:18:33 – 0:36:52

Jonathan’s Resident Evil Adventures: 0:36:52 – 0:46:35

Gundam News: 0:46:35 – 1:00:26

E3 2021 Analysis: 1:00:26 – 3:16:47

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #379 – Batman on Film Part 8: BATMAN BEGINS (2005) with Christian Bale

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 7 Jun 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Our BATMAN ON FILM series starts catching up to the modern age of superhero films this week with Christopher Nolan’s Batman Begins, the 2005 franchise reboot that marked a new degree of seriousness – not just in theme and tone, but also in production value, casting, and direction – for films about the Caped Crusader, and set the stage for Batman’s biggest moments of mainstream global popularity in the years to come. The movie was undoubtedly a refreshing, impressive change of pace at the time, but 16 years later, how does it hold up? Nolan asks us to take Batman seriously, not just as a character, but for the first time on film, in how he relates to something resembling the real world. That means this film’s ideas are worth taking seriously, and not all of them sit right with us today, nor do some of the structural and plotting choices that have always felt awkward. It’s an impressive movie in many ways, but does it really hold together as a good one? All this and more makes for another great Bat-Podcast.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:43

Batman Begins: 0:07:43 – 1:57:46

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #378 – Batman on Film Part 7: BATMAN BEYOND - RETURN OF THE JOKER (2000) with Will Friedle

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 31 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After going through some big pre-E3 video game news – including events about Dragon Quest, Sonic the Hedgehog, and Horizon: Forbidden West – and some other odds and ends, we dive into Part 7 of our BATMAN ON FILM series, with the 2000 direct-to-video feature Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker. Produced by the same team behind the classic Batman: The Animated Series (and earlier film reviewed in this series, Mask of the Phantasm), Batman Beyond broke bold new ground for the caped crusader on television, and this film is no exception. Originally edited for violent content in the wake of the Columbine school shootings before releasing an uncut version a few years later, Return of the Joker is one of the darkest and most brutal Batman outings, but also one of the richest and most rewarding, a story about the past, present, and future of Batman’s world that brings a surprising amount of closure to this incarnation of Batman and the Joker, and cements Will Friedle’s Terry McGinnis as a worthy successor to the cowl.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:09

Stuff: 0:04:09 – 0:16:51

News: 0:16:51 – 1:01:06

Batman Beyond: 1:01:06 – 2:10:52

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #377 – Mobile Suit Gundam MS IGLOO Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 24 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

It’s another dive into the world of Mobile Suit Gundam this week with MS IGLOO, but before that, you’ll also hear some big personal news from Sean, more discussion of Jason Schreier’s fantastic new book Press Reset, and more Resident Evil talk, including Jonathan’s experience playing Resident Evil Zero for the first time. Then we’re off to one of the most obscure corners of Gundam animation, with the 6-episode CGI OVA MS IGLOO and its 3-episode sequel series MS IGLOO 2: Gravity Well. Originally produced for the Bandai museum in Japan, the first series suffers from repetitive storytelling, thin plotting, and some of the worst 3D CGI animation the early 2000s had to offer, and on its own, there’s not a ton worth saying about it. But the sequel series, produced in 2008, isn’t just a huge step forward in the quality of the CGI production – it’s also a wonderfully unique, compellingly told set of ground-level war stories that make for essential viewing for anyone interested in the One-Year War period of Universal Century Gundam, and is a lot of fun to talk about.

TIME CHART:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:36:00

MS Igloo Discussion: 0:36:00 – 2:00:51

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #376 – Resident Evil Village & Yakuza: Like a Dragon Spoiler Reviews

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

This week’s super-sized podcast offers two in-depth video game reviews for the price of one, as we break down this month’s outstanding Resident Evil Village and last year’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon – which we’ve both finally finished! – in long spoiler-filled discussions. A fantastic balance of the terrifying and the silly, Resident Evil Village hits the absolute perfect sweet spot for both of us when it comes to this series, and is a total joy to discuss in this format, given how many surprises are hiding around every corner of this extraordinary game. And while Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a very different game, it’s no less fun to talk about, with its rich narrative and wonderful characters, and makes for an especially fun conversation as we’re coming at the series from two different directions – Jonathan as a franchise newbie, and Sean a grizzled Yakuza veteran. Before the reviews, Sean also talks about reading the Kimetsu no Yaiba manga, while Jonathan reviews gaming journalist Jason Schreier’s new book Press Reset, before talking about his very belated playthrough of the excellent Titanfall 2 campaign.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:55

Stuff: 0:03:55 – 0:39:57

Resident Evil Village: 0:39:57 – 2:06:53

Yakuza: Like a Dragon: 2:06:53 – 3:25:50

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #375 – Resident Evil Village Impressions, Dragon Ball News & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

It’s a fun grab-bag style episode this week as we discuss several pieces of recent news, from the results of the One Piece World Top 100 poll to Sega announcing Yakuza spin-off Lost Judgment to Toei finally confirming a new Dragon Ball Super movie for 2022, before moving on to our first, largely spoiler-free impressions of Resident Evil Village. It’s an outstanding game so far, building on what Resident Evil 7 did so well while also harkening back to entries like Resident Evil 4, and proving itself an incredible artistic and technical showcase along the way. We’ll go into spoiler details next week, but for now, our first impressions are extremely positive. And to finish, Jonathan talks about playing Resident Evil 5 in co-op with his brother, and talks about going to see a bunch of movies in the theater now that he has vaccine superpowers.

TIME CHART:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:34:12

News: 0:34:12 – 1:13:58

Yakuza: Like a Dragon Chat: 1:13:58 – 1:20:37

Resident Evil Village Impressions: 1:20:37 – 2:06:34

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #374 – Batman on Film Part 6: BATMAN & ROBIN (1997) with George Clooney

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 May 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After a bit of a delay due to Sean and Jonathan being extremely reluctant to watch the actual movie, our ongoing Batman on Film series is back with the last Batman film of the 90s, and one of the worst movies ever made: Joel Schumacher’s Batman & Robin, a flop that’s just as terrible if not worse than Batman Forever in a whole host of ways, while offering a few improvements thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger and especially Uma Thurman that can’t counteract the awfulness of the main Batman story. It’s an extremely bad movie and a painful, joyless watch, but makes for an entertaining conversation – and the Batman series is definitely looking up from here. We also cover a few pieces of stuff, like Jonathan playing Resident Evil 7 and Sean getting further in Yakuza: Like a Dragon, before paying tribute to the great Shunsuke Kikuchi, composer for Dragon Ball and Dragon Ball Z, who passed away this week at the ripe old age of 89, and leaves behind a timeless legacy of incredible, series-defining music.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:55

Stuff: 0:04:55 – 0:23:34

News, including Shunsuke Kikuchi: 0:23:34 – 1:01:02

Batman & Robin: 1:01:02 – 2:56:31

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #373 – Demon Slayer ~Kimetsu no Yaiba~ The Movie: Mugen Train Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After reviewing the first season of the anime in last week’s show, we’re back to review Demon Slayer ~Kimetsu no Yaiba~ The Movie: Mugen Train, the highest-grossing film in the history of Japan, and one that’s already making waves after its debut in North American theaters this weekend. It was both of our first trips back to a movie theater in over a year, since the start of the pandemic, and we couldn’t have picked a better film, because Mugen Train is an outstanding movie, not just as an ongoing part of the Kimetsu no Yaiba story, but on its own merits, and breaking it all down makes for one of the richest movie discussions we’ve ever had. Before that, we also talk about recent updates to The Weekly Stuff Podcast’s new YouTube channel, discuss Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings trailer, and Sean tells us about finally playing Resident Evil VII ahead of the upcoming Resident Evil VILLage.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:30

Stuff: 0:09:30 – 0:51:58

Mugen Train: 0:51:58 – 3:05:03

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #372 – The KIMETSU NO YAIBA (Demon Slayer) Episode!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

We’re talking about anime again this week, but for once, it’s not Gundam! It’s Kimetsu no Yaiba, also known as Demon Slayer, the most popular anime/manga franchise in Japan right now, and increasingly one of the most discussed around the world. With the record-breaking movie, Mugen Train, making its way to North American theaters next week, we go in-depth with the first season of the anime from Ufotable, based on the first 6 volumes of Koyoharu Gotouge’s best-selling manga. It’s a spectacular 26 episodes, one of the most perfect seasons of Shonen anime imaginable, featuring not just terrific storytelling, characters, and acting, but significant technical breakthroughs and breathtaking filmmaking that feel like they’re pushing the entire medium of anime forward. We also touch on the news that Gundam is getting a live-action film from Legendary Pictures and Netflix, and Jonathan tells you all about the exciting things happening on The Weekly Stuff Podcast’s brand new YouTube channel!

Enjoy, and come back next week for our review of the Kimetsu film, Mugen Train!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:16:17

Stuff: 0:16:17 – 0:31:30

News: 0:31:30 – 0:44:18

Kimetsu no Yaiba: 0:44:18 – 3:44:41

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #371 – Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After touching base on the games we’ve been playing – including the original Diablo and 2016’s Ratchet & Clank remake – and discussing this week’s Bloomberg report about a Last of Us PS5 remake and the state of Sony’s development priorities, we move on to another Weekly Suit Gundam topic, rounding out our triptych of Gundam 00 reviews with Mobile Suit Gundam 00 the Movie: A Wakening of the Trailblazer, the 2010 feature-film follow-up/finale that brings a close to the world of Gundam 00 and introduces the world of Gundam to extraterrestrial life for the first time. It’s a wild, strange, defiantly singular movie, and one of the stranger corners of the Gundam universe – but also one of the most rewarding, especially when you break it down in a long-form conversation as we do here. Gundam 00 has been one of our favorite series to discuss so far, and the film is no exception.

Enjoy, and come back next week for our review of Season 1 of Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, ahead of the North American debut of the new film, Mugen Train, in theaters!

TIME CHART:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:17:50

News: 0:17:50 – 0:38:50

Gundam 00 the Movie: 0:38:50 – 2:57:46

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #370 – GODZILLA VS KONG vs KING KONG VS GODZILLA: DAWN OF KAIJU JUSTICE

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Apr 2021 05:00:00 +0000

The great Kaiju showdown of our time has arrived in Legendary Pictures’ Godzilla vs Kong, the fourth film and grand culmination in their ongoing ‘MonsterVerse,’ and to celebrate, we’re not just reviewing this movie – we’re also going back to Round 1 of this particular match-up, discussing the original Toho King Kong vs Godzilla from 1962! And that’s not all! We also dive into the other Legendary Pictures monster movies to recap our thoughts on the entire series, and we discuss the original Toho Godzilla vs Mechagodzilla for reasons that should be apparent to anyone who’s seen Godzilla vs Kong! It’s a grand old time talking about these wonderful monster icons, a chance to not only review this surprisingly great new movie, but to do the kind of big Kaiju celebration we haven’t done in a while on this podcast.

Enjoy, and listen to all our past Godzilla episodes as well if you’re interested!

Episode #162 – Godzilla Retrospective Spectacular!

Episode #163 – Shin Godzilla Review

Episode #86 – Godzilla 2014 Review

Episode #287 – Godzilla: King of the Monsters Review

TIME CHART:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:23:20

King Kong vs Godzilla (and other Toho movies): 0:23:20 – 1:20:22

Godzilla vs Kong (and other Legendary movies): 1:20:22 – 2:38:31

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #369 – Gundam 00 Season 2 Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 29 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After covering a few pieces of recent news – including the trailer for James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad and reports that Sony might be sunsetting digital game sales for PS3 and PS Vita – we dive right into our latest Weekly Suit Gundam discussion, this time on the second season of the fantastic Mobile Suit Gundam 00. The show has a lot to live up to in its back half, and we find it more than rises to the challenge with an incredibly smart, exciting, affecting, and entertaining second season, bringing the TV portion of this Gundam experience to a rousing close. With amazing animation, outstanding mobile suit designs and action, tremendous characters, and one of the best voice casts the franchise has ever assembled – including the very surprising return of one of Gundam’s most iconic voice actors – Gundam 00 truly is one of the franchise’s finest hours, and we had even more fun talking about it the second time.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:24

Stuff: 0:01:24 – 0:17:02

News: 0:17:02 – 0:38:25

Gundam 00 Season 2: 0:38:25 – 3:24:51

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #368 – 2021 Year in Preview Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

Better late than never, this week is our annual ‘Year in Preview’ episode, where we look over all the video games and movies coming in 2021 and assess what looks good (New Pokemon Snap, yay!), what looks bad (oh God, Disney’s Cruella movie is real), what baffles us (who the hell thought Six Days in Fallujah was a good idea?), and what’s likely to even come out (is Halo: Infinite ever gonna be a thing?). Before all that, we also give some quick updates on Genshin Impact and Yakuza: Like a Dragon, puzzle over the weirdest video-game tie-in Pringles ever, and Jonathan gives some thoughts on Zack Snyder’s Justice League – which he also has a full written review of you can read right now!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:12

Stuff: 0:03:12 – 0:17:32

Justice League: 0:17:32 – 0:29:23

2021 Year in Preview: 0:29:23 – 1:57:21

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #367 – Mobile Suit Gundam 00 Season 1 Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 15 Mar 2021 05:00:00 +0000

After a little break, we’re back with an episode full of exciting topics, from first impressions on the outstanding Yakuza: Like a Dragon (now out on PS5, and which we’ll definitely do a full episode on soon), thoughts on the demise of Anthem at Bioware, and most importantly, another Weekly Suit Gundam discussion, this time on Mobile Suit Gundam 00, the series that brought Gundam into the era of HD, widescreen, and 21st century geopolitics. It’s a terrific show that’s wickedly smart, wildly exciting, and features some of the best characters and world-building of the entire franchise. It’s also the first Gundam series to split itself into seasons, so on today’s episode we’re covering Season 1 – Episodes 1-25 – which work pretty splendidly on their own, as the story of the rise and fall of Celestial Being, a stateless military organization aiming to eradicate war through armed intervention. We discuss the story, world, themes, characters, and so much more, including the incredible production values and remarkable batch of theme songs, for a Gundam show that’s definitely worth the deep dive treatment.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:00

Stuff: 0:05:00 – 0:17:22

Yakuza: Like a Dragon: 0:17:22 – 0:30:52

Gundam 00 Season 1: 0:30:52 – 2:42:11

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #366.5 – Jonathan’s Solo Listener Mail Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Mar 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Sean couldn’t be here this week, so Jonathan gets on mic and answers some listener mail, talking about his favorite recent music and most anticipated upcoming games and movies, giving recommendations for getting into classical Japanese cinema, and reflecting on Ang Lee’s 2003 Hulk by reading/making fun of a review he wrote in 2008 at age 15. There’s also a bevy of Gundam-related questions at the end, and a little bit of chat on the recent Pokemon announcements on the top of the show, all to tide listeners over before we’re back with regular episodes next week.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #366 – Nintendo Direct & Zeta Gundam: A New Translation Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

This week brought our first full-length Nintendo Direct since September 2019 (!), but was it any good? Do a few far-off announcements for 2022, a Mario Golf game, and a low-effort Zelda port make up for Nintendo’s months of erratic communication? We discuss all this and cover a few pieces of exciting Diablo news from BlizzCon, before diving into our main topic, another Weekly Suit Gundam discussion in which we tackle a curious oddity in the history of Gundam: Yoshiyuki Tomino’s Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation film trilogy from 2005 and 2006, which saw the Gundam creator returning to the classic sequel series and compiling it into three feature films. There’s probably no Gundam series more difficult to condense in to three 90-minute movies than Zeta Gundam, with its enormous cast of characters, heady and challenging themes, and dense, complicated storytelling, but A New Translation is nothing if not a valiant effort, worth examining even if it never quite overcomes the sheer weight of factors working against it.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:05

Blizzard News & Nintendo Direct: 0:10:05 – 0:49:27

Zeta Gundam: 0:49:27 – 3:10:09

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #365 – Bowser’s Fury is Good, Joss Whedon & Gina Carano are Bad

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 15 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

This week brought one great new video game in Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury –a Nintendo Switch package including a Wii U classic and, in a wonderful surprise, a brand new 3D open-world Mario game – and two high-profile stories of bad behavior in Hollywood, with a number of accusations against Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon and Disney disinviting The Mandalorian co-star Gina Carano from future Star Wars productions after a series of anti-trans and anti-semitic posts. Today’s episode is primarily concerned with these dark news stories, and in the case of Carano, some of the terrible takes that have surfaced comparing, offensively, Carano’s firing to the dark days of the Hollywood blacklist. Sean also talks about finishing Yakuza 6 – and his entire journey with Kazuma Kiryu over the last three years – and we continue to talk incessantly about the wonders (and dangers?) of Genshin Impact.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:38

Stuff, including Bowser’s Fury: 0:08:38 – 0:32:30

News: 0:32:30 – 1:18:50

Stream The Weekly Stuff Podcast Episode #365

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #364 – Batman on Film Part 5: BATMAN FOREVER (1995) with Val Kilmer

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Our BATMAN ON FILM series continues with the film all you sadists in the audience have been waiting for us to suffer through: 1995’s BATMAN FOREVER, the third and, thus far, worst film incarnation of the Caped Crusader, marking a shark break from the dark and stylish Tim Burton films in favor of the garish colors, wild tonal inconsistency, and porn-quality cinematography of Joel Schumacher, terrible qualities only matched by the abysmal failures of Akiva Goldsman’s horrible writing. A hit in its day and nostalgic to some, Batman Forever has very little going for it, with a bland and confused lead performance by Val Kilmer, Chris O’Donnell as a very miscast Robin, a nearly unwatchable turn from the obnoxious Jim Carrey as The Riddler, and a deeply inexplicable left-field turn in the career of Tommy Lee Jones. It is a bad, bad movie, but at the very least it’s interesting to talk about.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:21

Stuff: 0:04:21 – 0:31:10

Batman Forever: 0:31:10 – 2:32:14

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #363 – Hitman 3 Impressions, Genshin Impact, The Stupid GameStop Story & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 Feb 2021 06:00:00 +0000

It’s a loose and laid-back week on the show as we catch up on life events, cover one weird and frustrating piece of news, and discuss a few really great games, including our first spoiler-free impressions of Hitman 3, the triumphant capper to IO Interactive’s outstanding ‘World of Assassination’ trilogy, which has been one of our favorite series to discuss on the show ever since this incarnation launched in 2016. We also gush over the many wonders of Genshin Impact, and Sean tells us about coming full-circle on Yakuza with Yakuza 6: The Song of Life. We also cover the stupid GameStop stock story, which is the first and hopefully only time we ever have an extended discussion about fiscal markets on this show.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:30

Stuff: 0:01:30 – 0:33:37

News: 0:33:37 – 0:46:47

Yakuza 6: 0:46:47 – 0:59:04

Hitman 3: 0:59:04 – 1:33:55

Genshin Impact: 1:33:55 – 1:52:54

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #362 – 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim Spoiler Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Ranking at #2 and #5 on Sean and Jonathan’s respective Top 10 Games of 2020 lists, Vanillaware’s 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim is undeniably one of the most singular gaming experiences of the last year – an incredibly compelling, blissfully confusing, wickedly intelligent mix of the visual novel, adventure game, and real-time strategy genres into one unique package that is absolutely unlike anything we’ve played before. A mecha and kaiju story with aspects of just about every anime genre under the sun – from high school shows to mystery dramas to magical girl series – 13 Sentinels is more than worthy of a deep dive discussion, especially considering it was a podcast listener who turned us onto the game in the first place! Consider this episode our thanks for the recommendation – and a strong encouragement for those who haven’t played it yet to take the plunge.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:50

13 Sentinels: 0:06:50 – 2:19:23

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #361 – Batman on Film Part 4: BATMAN MASK OF THE PHANTASM with Kevin Conroy

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Continuing our ongoing BATMAN ON FILM series, we arrive at the fourth theatrical Batman feature, the first animated one, and quite possibly the single best Batman film ever made: Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, a standalone feature based on the classic Animated Series, considered by many to be the definitive portrayal of The Dark Knight. Starring Kevin Conroy as Batman and Mark Hamill as the Joker, with a new love interest and antagonist in the form of Dana Delaney’s Andrea Beaumont, Mask of the Phantasm is a dark, incisive portrayal of the tragedy that is Bruce Wayne, a film noir reimagining of his origin that cuts to the heart of the darkness lying beneath Batman’s iconography. It is a truly spectacular film, one that we’ve mentioned dozens of times before on this show without ever devoting an entire episode to, and it’s a real joy to finally rectify that.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:58

Stuff: 0:02:58 – 0:32:07

Batman: Mask of the Phantasm: 0:32:07 – 2:20:06

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #360 – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is another Weekly Suit Gundam extravaganza, this time on the controversial Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny, but before that, we also discuss this week’s abhorrent Presidentially-ordered insurrection at the US capital, and – in a lighter topic – Jonathan becoming infatuated with Genshin Impact, Sean’s 2020 Game of the Year. Then it’s on to Gundam SEED Destiny, a show that tries to be two different, contradictory shows at once: a challenging sequel questioning the assumptions and characters from the original, a la Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, and a straight-up sequel to SEED – Gundam SEED: Here We Go Again – and in the shuffle, somehow makes us hate the entire returning cast even while it buries and repeatedly does dirty its interesting new characters. The result is one of the most inept sequel stories ever told – but undeniably one of the most compelling to talk about.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:14

The Whole Coup Thing: 0:02:14 – 0:22:08

Genshin Impact: 0:22:08 – 0:43:12

Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Destiny: 0:43:12 – 4:10:48

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #359 – The Top 10 Video Games of 2020

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Jan 2021 06:00:00 +0000

Our 10th year of podcasting kicks off with a look back at one of the very few things that was truly good in 2020: Video Games. While the world was falling apart, gaming, at least, delivered one of the best, broadest, and deepest years on records, with scores of titles we loved playing and reviewing throughout 2020, and today’s episode is our chance to look back on the best of the best, go deep with ones we haven’t discussed much before, and share memories of our favorite gaming moments from the past 12 months. It’s one of our longest episodes ever, but the games discussed here make it all worth it – and with 2021 shaping up to be a very exciting year for the medium, we’re already excited to do it all again next year.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #358 – Batman on Film Part 3: BATMAN RETURNS (1992) with Michael Keaton

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 24 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

For part 3 of our Batman on Film series, we move into the 90s with Tim Burton and Michael Keaton’s second outing with the character, the amazingly bizarre, deeply silly, and profoundly psychosexual Batman Returns. It is one of the wildest, weirdest mainstream movies to ever come out of Hollywood, and also one of the best and boldest Batman films ever made – a gothic, expressionist, Freudian nightmare with one of the best sets of villains comic book movies have ever seen, in Danny DeVito’s Penguin, Christopher Walken’s Max Shrek, and especially Michelle Pfeiffer’s outstanding take on Catwoman. It is also, clearly and indisputably, a Christmas movie – if a particularly disturbing one – which makes it a perfect topic for our annual Christmas episode.

This is also our last episode of 2020, so stick around to the end of the show for a message of thanks from Jonathan, and a countdown of his Top 10 Favorite Weekly Stuff and Weekly Suit Gundam episodes of the year! Enjoy, and we’ll see you in 2021!

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The Weekly Stuff #357 - The Mandalorian Season 2 Finale Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 21 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Disney+’s outstanding Star Wars series The Mandalorian brought its second season to a bold, surprising, and spectacularly satisfying conclusion this week, and we dive deep not only with this amazing episode, but also what it portends for the future of the series, where the saga of Din Djarin could go from here, and all the possibilities for Star Wars TV moving forward. Before that, though, we also talk about the games we’ve been playing – including 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim, One Piece Pirate Warriors 4, and Spider-Man Remastered – before covering the latest developments in the sad, infuriating saga of Cyberpunk 2077, after Sony delisted the game from PlayStation Network in the midst of what almost amounts to a full-scale recall of this incredibly broken game.

Enjoy, and come back on Thursday for our special Christmas-themed retrospective of the festive(?) Batman Returns!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:40

Stuff: 0:03:40 – 0:28:27

Cyberpunk News: 0:28:27 – 0:51:56

The Mandalorian: 0:51:56 – 1:50:23

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #356 - Cyberpunk Problems, Disney and HBO Max Announcements, Mandalorian S2E6-7 & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 Dec 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Today’s episode is absolutely jam-packed with entertainment news, after Warner Bros. decided to blow a hole in the theatrical market by announcing all their 2021 films will be released on struggling streamer HBO Max, and Disney held a 4-hour investor conference in which they announced or detailed 100+ TV series and movies, the vast majority heading to their (decidedly not struggling) streamer Disney+. Breaking down all this news forms the bulk of the episode, but we also review the latest two episodes of The Mandalorian at the end – spoiler: they’re good – fill you in on some games we’ve been playing, and explain why we won’t be reviewing Cyberpunk 2077, after a disastrous launch presenting the game in a nearly unplayable state.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:21

Cyberpunk 2077: 0:04:21 – 0:28:55

Stuff: 0:28:55 – 0:58:15

News: 0:58:15 – 3:07:05

The Mandalorian: 3:07:05 – 3:32:16

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #355 – Batman on Film Part 2: BATMAN (1989) with Michael Keaton

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week, our 10-part critical retrospective BATMAN ON FILM continues, as we revisit each of the theatrical Batman features in advance of Matt Reeves’ upcoming The Batman with Robert Pattinson. For Part 2, we’re looking at the birth of the modern superhero film genre with Tim Burton’s BATMAN from 1989, starring Michael Keaton as the caped crusader and Jack Nicholson as the Joker. It’s a fascinating film, one that’s full of things to praise – Burton’s direction, Danny Elfman’s score, the incredible production design, Keaton’s performance, and more – yet somehow adds up to less than the sum of its parts, with a choppy script and messy structure, and an inconsistent version of the Joker brought lazily to life by a very checked-out Jack Nicholson. But all that makes for a great in-depth discussion. Before that, we also check in on some recent games we’ve been playing – including Demon’s Souls on PS5, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim for PS4, and Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity for Nintendo Switch. And at the very end, we sing the praises of the latest episode of The Mandalorian, a Dave Filoni written and directed masterpiece that may be one of the best pieces of Star Wars media ever.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:52

Stuff: 0:04:52 – 0:51:51

Batman (1989): 0:51:51 –

The Mandalorian Chapter 13: 2:30:04 – 3:13:54

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The Weekly Stuff #354 – Mandalorian Season 2, Demon’s Souls & Spider-Man Miles Morales

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 23 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Continuing from our first impressions of the PlayStation 5 last week, we dive deep with two of the biggest launch games: Bluepoint’s stunningly lavish remake of FromSoftware’s Demon’s Souls, and Insomniac’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales. They’re two of the best launch titles we’ve ever seen, for very different reasons, and it’s a ton of fun to talk about all the intricate in-and-outs of Demon’s Souls remarkable level design and glorious new aesthetics, as well as the bold, emotional narrative choices of Miles Morales. After that, we discuss the first half of the second season of The Mandalorian on Disney+, which has matched and even exceeded expectations headed out of last year’s amazing inaugural run. News on Wonder Woman 1984 heading to HBO Max and discussion of whether or not Marvel should recast Chadwick Boseman’s role in Black Panther 2 round out the episode.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:58

News: 0:03:58 – 0:31:13

PS5 Impressions Follow-up: 0:31:13 – 0:44:32

Demon’s Souls: 0:44:32 – 1:50:52

Spider-Man Miles Morales: 1:50:52 – 2:30:39

Mandalorian Season 2: 2:30:39 – 3:08:40

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #353 – PlayStation 5 First Impressions Spectacular! Astro’s Playroom, Spider-Man, Demon’s Souls & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

After quickly catching up on two weeks of busy global happenings and personal events, and celebrating the life of the great Alex Trebek, we dive headfirst into our first impressions of Sony’s brand new next-generation gaming console, the PlayStation 5! With a blazing fast SSD, a slick and surprisingly fully-featured UI, and perhaps the best controller ever packaged with a home console, the PS5 feels like a truly generational leap forward, and it’s got one of the most compelling launch line-ups we’ve ever seen. From the joyous experimentation of pack-in game Astro’s Playroom, to the jaw-dropping graphical breakthroughs of Demon’s Souls, to the cross-gen stunner that is Spider-Man Miles Morales, there’s no shortage of great content to play right out of the gate – and these are only the games we’ve personally played so far. We talk about all of that and more as we ring in the new console generation, and look forward to the years of gaming we now have in store.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:22:23

The Console Itself: 0:22:23 – 0:36:40

User Interface, Loading, and Backwards Compatibility: 0:36:40 – 1:24:30

DualSense Controller: 1:24:30 – 1:53:30

Astro’s Playroom: 1:53:30 – 2:26:09

Demon’s Souls: 2:26:09 – 2:36:38

Spider-Man Miles Morales: 2:36:38 – 3:20:20

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The Weekly Stuff #352 – Mobile Suit Gundam SEED Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 9 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode was prerecorded a few days before the US election everyone reading this has already lived through, so after a few minutes spent catching up and reacting to multiple possible scenarios, we dive into the week’s main topic: A new episode of Weekly Suit Gundam, wherein we review Mobile Suit Gundam SEED, the first Gundam of the 2000s and one of the most broadly popular entries in the history of the franchise. It’s also a hell of a series – even if it took one of us a while to start enjoying it! – and builds to one of the best runs of episodes we’ve had the pleasure of discussing so far. It makes for one of our longest and most in-depth episodes, and as it’s long been one of our most requested Gundam topics, it was a real pleasure to try doing it justice.

Enjoy!

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The Weekly Stuff with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman is a weekly audio podcast, and if you subscribe in Apple Podcasts, episodes will be delivered automatically and for free as soon as they are released. If you visit www.jonathanlack.com, we also have streaming and downloadable versions of new and archival episodes for your listening pleasure.

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The Weekly Stuff #351 – Our Top 10 Favorite Books, Part 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 2 Nov 2020 06:00:00 +0000

Continuing our 350 episode celebration spectacular, we’re counting down our Top 10 Favorite Books of All Time. Last week, Jonathan talked about Sherlock Holmes, his love of old wooden ships, and words of wisdom from Hayao Miyazaki, while Sean told us about his favorite Shakespeare play, several landmark works of literature concerning the darkness of the human condition, and explained how Moby Dick is in fact the gayest book ever written. This week, we finish our lists with our respective Top 5, spanning literal millennia of human history and several genres and tones, leading up to our favorite books ever written.

Enjoy, and thank you so much for following us for 350 (well, 351, now) episodes of The Weekly Stuff Podcast!

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The Weekly Stuff #350 – Our Top 10 Favorite Books, Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

For our latest milestone of 350 episodes – halfway to 700! – we add to our previous ‘canon’ lists – Top 10 Movies for Episode 200, Top 10 Games for 250, and Top 10 TV Shows for 300 – with something a little bit different: Our Top 10 Favorite Books! Literature isn’t something we talk about a whole lot on this show, but it is of course a big part of our lives, especially for Sean, who got an English degree in college and works as a high-school English teacher. And books, just like any piece of media, say a lot about what we value, what inspires us, and what we want to share with the world, so this is a really exciting set of lists to talk about. And a long one, with lots of excerpts to read and context to give, so we’ve split it into two parts, with #10 – #6 on our lists in today’s episode, and the Top 5 coming next week in Episode 351.

Enjoy, and thanks for following us for 350 episodes of The Weekly Stuff Podcast!

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The Weekly Stuff #349 – Batman on Film Part 1: Batman (1966) with Adam West

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week, we’re kicking off a new miniseries that’s been in the works for months – BATMAN ON FILM, a 10-part critical retrospective of the caped crusader’s theatrical film history, coming over the next year in advance of Matt Reeves’ The Batman with Robert Pattinson, and at a time where the cultural conversation around policing in America has given us reason to re-evaluate the character and where he fits in the world of 2020. We begin today with Batman (1966), the film based on the classic TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward, and featuring a team of classic villains played by Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, Lee Meriwether, and Frank Gorshin. It’s a brilliant comedy that’s a ton of fun to talk about, but its satire is also a lot smarter and more culturally engaged than perhaps meets the eye, and it’s arguably a take on Batman we need now more than ever. Sean and Jonathan also talk briefly about their continued experiences with Genshin Impact and Hades, and go over the PlayStation 5 user interface unveiled this week.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:21

Stuff: 0:09:21 – 0:32:46

News: 0:32:46 – 0:50:33

Batman 1966 Review: 0:50:33 – 2:26:59

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #348 – Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

This week kicks off with Sean and Jonathan talking about some PS5 news, as the console got a full teardown and backwards compatibility detailed, before discussing Genshin Impact and Hades in greater detail. Then we take a quick trip to Sean’s Beta Corner to talk Call of Duty: Black Ops – Cold War, before diving into our main topic: Another Weekly Suit Gundam discussion, this time about the 1996 OVA Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team, one of the most universally beloved and undeniably entertaining series in the Gundam pantheon. We gush over the lush production values and incredible set pieces, discuss the vibrant cast of characters, puzzle over how best to categorize the bewildering 12th episode (and why this should really be considered an 11-episode series), and also touch on the compilation movie Miller’s Report.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:42

News: 0:01:42 – 0:24:36

Genshin Impact: 0:24:36 – 0:40:25

Hades: 0:40:25 – 0:52:18

Sean’s Beta Corner on Call of Duty Black Ops Cold War: 0:52:18 – 0:58:27

Gundam: The 08th MS Team: 0:58:27 – 3:27:29

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The Weekly Stuff #347 – Genshin Impact, Hades, Minecraft in Smash, Listener Mail & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Oct 2020 05:00:00 +0000

We cover a lot of ground in this week’s episode, from news including multiple weird Spider-Man announcements (movie and game) to a discussion on the state of movie theaters and releases amidst the pandemic, plus some new game impressions and a big bag of listener mail! To start, Sean gives some early thoughts on Genshin Impact, the Chinese free-to-play game that mixes Breath of the Wild with Gacha mechanics, and Jonathan discusses his early love for Hades, the latest critical darling from Supergiant. Then we go over the news, including the unveiling of Steve (and Alex) from Minecraft joining Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, before diving into the listener mail, where we discuss where our Persona 5 Royal review is, what’s in our backlog, questions about movies and TV, and possibly commit ourselves to a very dumb topic for December of 2021.

Time Chart:

Intro and Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:17:59

Genshin Impact: 0:17:59 – 0:33:17

Hades: 0:33:17 – 0:45:39

News: 0:45:39 – 1:42:56

Listener Mail: 1:42:56 – 2:27:24

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #346 – Xbox Buys Bethesda, Super Mario Sunshine, and Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 28 Sep 2020 05:00:17 +0000

After an unplanned two-month hiatus, Weekly Suit Gundam – our sister podcast exploring the wide and wonderful world of Mobile Suit Gundam – is finally back, with a big in-depth review and discussion of Gundam 0083: Stardust Memory, the OVA series from 1991 that provides some of the highest highs and the lowest lows in the entire Gundam franchise, and makes for one of the best critical discussions about the series we’ve ever had. Before cutting to the Gundam talk, though, we also break down the crazy news that Microsoft is buying Zenimax, the parent company of Bethesda, giving the Xbox brand ownership of Doom, The Elder Scrolls, Wolfenstein, Dishonored, and so much more. It’s a big development with countless implications, so many we can barely begin to cover them here. And finally, Jonathan also talks about finally finishing Super Mario Sunshine for the first time in his life, and he and Sean commiserate over the gauntlet of endless frustration provided by one of Mario’s only notable missteps.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:20

Xbox Buys Bethesda: 0:06:20 – 0:40:14

Super Mario Sunshine: 0:40:14 – 1:08:52

Gundam 0083: 1:08:52 – 3:25:39

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #345 – Super Mario 3D All Stars, PS5 Showcase, Demon’s Souls, Final Fantasy XVI & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 21 Sep 2020 05:00:09 +0000

This week brought maybe the best gaming showcase event we’ve seen all year, as Sony not only unveiled the price and release date of the PlayStation 5, but also showed off the Demon’s Souls remake, gave us a good look at Spider-Man: Miles Morales, and most surprisingly, unveiled Final Fantasy XVI. It was a heck of a show, even if the pre-orders that followed were a disaster, and altogether, we’re more excited for the next generation than ever before. Jonathan also talks about Nintendo’s Super Mario 3D All Stars collection for Nintendo Switch, and discusses finally giving Super Mario Sunshine a chance after all these years.

And in light of the passing of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, we’re also making a political call to action this week, asking listeners to donate to the Get Mitch or Die Trying fund, which splits donations evenly amongst Democratic Senate candidates so we can get Mitch McConnell out of his job, protect the Supreme Court, and strengthen our democracy.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #344 – Marvel’s Avengers Review, Xbox Series S, Mario 35 Nintendo Direct, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 05:00:04 +0000

It’s been a big couple of weeks for video game news, from Nintendo unveiling all their plans for Mario’s 35th anniversary to Xbox (finally!) unveiling the Series S and their next-gen launch dates and pricing, to another round of announcements from Ubisoft. We break down all of that and more, including a check-in on the state of movie releases in the US for the rest of 2020. Before all that, we also check in on how life is going amidst the ongoing pandemic chaos, Sean reviews the latest DLC for Control, and we talk at length about Marvel’s Avengers, the wildly imperfect but also surprisingly compelling superhero game that launched last week.

Time Chart:

Intro and Plaguecast: 0:00:00 – 0:25:08

Stuff: 0:25:08 – 0:47:13

Avengers Game: 0:47:13 – 1:30:50

News: 1:30:50 – 2:44:32

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The Weekly Stuff with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman is a weekly audio podcast, and if you subscribe in iTunes, episodes will be delivered automatically and for free as soon as they are released. If you visit www.jonathanlack.com, we also have streaming and downloadable versions of new and archival episodes for your listening pleasure.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #343 – Chadwick Boseman Tribute, DC FanDome News, and COVID Rants

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 31 Aug 2020 05:00:26 +0000

This has been a rough, difficult week in a rough, difficult year, and the sudden loss of Chadwick Boseman, best known for playing King T’Challa in Marvel’s Black Panther, made it all the more wrenching. We start today’s show by playing tribute to the late actor and the heroic, inspirational legacy he left behind, before moving on to discussing our lives teaching in public schools and at the University level, where impossible situations and bad policies have us slowly losing our minds. Then we hit a few big pieces of news, including the announcement of Call of Duty Black Ops: Cold War and veteran Halo writer Joseph Staten coming on board Halo Infinite to oversee campaign development, before recapping last week’s not-Comic Con DC FanDome event, where DC showed off some big trailers, including the Snyder cut of Justice League, Matt Reeves’ The Batman, and the Batman: Gotham Knights and Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League video games.

Time Chart:

Intro & Chadwick Boseman Tribute: 0:00:00 – 0:22:18

Stuff and COVID Rants: 0:22:18 – 0:53:10

News: 0:53:10 – 1:21:35

DC FanDome News: 1:21:35 – 2:06:40

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #342 – Avengers Beta, Halo Infinite Delay, and Ghost of Tsushima Final Thoughts

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Aug 2020 05:00:10 +0000

After travel and a giant inland hurricane in Iowa delayed our recording two weeks in a row, we are finally back with another jam-packed episode, full of life updates, news, and more! Jonathan talks about recording from his fancy new computer and making the switch from Mac to Windows, showing his brother Kurosawa movies, and getting into Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, while Sean takes us on a trip to his Beta Corner to talk all about Marvel’s Avengers, the much-discussed superhero/Destiny game launching next month. We cover some major news, from the wild news of Halo Infinite getting pushed to 2021 and leaving the Xbox Series X without a launch game, to Epic picking a big fight with Apple and Google, to news of Rocksteady developing a Suicide Squad game. And lastly, we give our final thoughts on the incredible Ghost of Tsushima for PS4, having both completed and Platinum-ed the game, breaking down the surprisingly compelling story and characters to wrap up our multi-part review of a really special game.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:02

Stuff: 0:05:02 – 0:44:07

Avengers in Sean’s Beta Corner: 0:44:07 – 1:04:56

News: 1:04:56 – 2:10:23

Ghost of Tsushima: 2:10:23 – 2:55:39

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #341 – Xbox Games Showcase, Halo Infinite, and Ghost of Tsushima Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 Jul 2020 05:00:03 +0000

Our latest and possibly final entry in “Not-E3 2020” came this week with Microsoft’s Xbox Games Showcase, where they unveiled Halo: Infinite and detailed many other games coming to the Series X and Game Pass. It was certainly a compelling pitch for the latter, but did it do anything to pitch us on the fancy new console itself? We go in depth recapping the entire show, before settling in for a longer review discussion of Ghost of Tsushima, the excellent PS4 swan song that we can’t stop playing. Neither of us have finished it yet, so no major spoilers here, but we go deeper with the gameplay systems, characters, and presentation that make this such a unique and memorable open-world game.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:42

Stuff: 0:01:42 – 0:32:17

News and Xbox Games Showcase: 0:32:17 - 1:56:37

Ghost of Tsushima: 1:56:37 – 3:06:43

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #340 – The Final Fantasy VII Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 20 Jul 2020 05:00:11 +0000

After giving some quick first impressions of Sucker Punch’s outstanding Ghost of Tsushima for PS4, this episode is fully dedicated to one long-awaited topic: Final Fantasy VII. This year’s PS4 remake, yes, but also the PS1 original, and the PSP spin-off Crisis Core, and the depressingly abysmal movie Advent Children. We talk about it all, having both finally journeyed through the complete Final Fantasy VII experience for the first time this year, diving deep into why the original remains such a unique and powerful pillar of narrative gaming despite plenty of dated elements, and why the Remake just didn’t do it for us despite its good character work and production values. If you’ve been waiting to hear us talk about Final Fantasy VII in any or all of its forms, this is the episode for you.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:29

Ghost of Tsushima Impressions: 0:02:29 – 0:22:18

Final Fantasy VII: 0:22:18 – 3:25:24

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #339 – Ubisoft Forward 2020 and Gundam War in the Pocket Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 13 Jul 2020 05:00:13 +0000

Not-E3 2020 continued this weekend with Ubisoft Forward, where the company showed off Watch Dogs Legion, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, and announced (well, sort of, after many leaks) Far Cry 6. And it came under a cloud of terrible press for the French-Canadian gaming behemoth, as months’ worth of sexual harassment and toxic work environment allegations have resulted in one of the most dramatic corporate shake-ups in the history of video games. We talk about all of that and more before our latest Weekly Suit Gundam topic, reviewing Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket. Released in six installments in 1989, War in the Pocket marked the first time creator Yoshiyuki Tomino wasn’t involved in a Gundam production, and is widely regarded as one of the franchise’s finest hours, expanding and deepening the series’ themes and perspective by focusing in on the small-scale story of a boy growing up amidst the backdrop of the One-Year War. It is one of the greatest and most powerful anti-war stories ever told, on similar footing as Isao Takahata’s 1988 Grave of the Fireflies, and began a rich tradition of Gundam taking some of its best artistic leaps on home video.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:30

Stuff: 0:02:30 – 0:30:36

Ubisoft News: 0:30:36 – 1:33:27

Gundam 0080 – War in the Pocket: 1:33:27 – 3:26:20

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #338 – Final Fantasy VII, Video Game Pricing, and TV’s Reckoning with Blackface

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 Jul 2020 05:00:10 +0000

This week’s episode is a real humdinger of tonal and topical shifts. We start with some Final Fantasy VII chat – Sean having just played Crisis Core, the PSP spin-off, and Jonathan having just finished this year’s Remake – Jonathan reviews Minecraft Dungeons, and we discuss how weirdly prescient Steven Spielberg’s Jaws feels in a moment of profound government incompetence. For the news, we discuss reports that video games might be moving to a $70 price point for the new generation, and the weird state of video game pricing over the last generation. And then we jump into some really heavy topics, first discussing J.K. Rowling’s abhorrent, hateful screeds against transgender people, and then talking about the sexual assault allegations that have rocked the fighting game community. Finally, we look at how American TV has been responding to the Black Lives Matter movement, both in finally realizing white people probably shouldn’t voice black characters in animation, and in how they’re treating recent material, from shows like 30 Rock or Mad Men, that used blackface. This is a complex issue that demands a fuller understanding of historical context, and we try to give some of that while also discussing the many ways these producers and companies could go further to educating and making amends instead of just scrubbing the internet of problematic material.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:00

Final Fantasy VII Stuff: 0:05:00 – 0:49:22

Other Stuff: 0:49:22 – 1:04:12

News: 1:04:12 – 2:07:45

TV, Voice Actors, and Blackface: 2:07:45 – 3:07:24

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #337 – Reviewing G-Saviour, The Bad Canadian Gundam TV Movie

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 30 Jun 2020 05:00:01 +0000

To close out the anniversary month celebrations for our sister series, Weekly Suit Gundam, we’ve got a surprise review of a (rightfully) forgotten piece of the Gundam universe: G-Saviour, the live-action Canadian TV movie from 2000 that brought Gundam to live-action for its 20th anniversary, in spectacularly awful fashion. Boasting awful production values, bargain bin acting, a script straight of the Hallmark channel recycling bin, and almost nothing to distinguish itself as part of the larger Gundam franchise, G-Saviour is a morbid curiosity that is, at least, worth some laughs, as we pick apart the mostly nonsensical story, watching and reporting so you don’t have to!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #336 – The Last of Us Part II Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 29 Jun 2020 05:00:02 +0000

Naughty Dog’s latest, darkest, and most ambitious game to date has arrived in The Last of Us Part II, and today’s episode is a long, in-depth conversation about a game that is difficult to digest, but absolutely worth the effort of engaging with and discussing. The first game is, of course, one of our favorites – it was on both our Top 10 Games of All Time lists – so this sequel has been hotly anticipated. And while one of us has more complicated feelings about the final product then the other, we both agree that there’s an awful lot to talk about with this extraordinary sequel, from how it continues the story of Joel and Ellie, to where it takes some of the biggest themes and ideas from the original, to the new characters and environments it introduces, to the many gameplay improvements that make this one of the best-playing Naughty Dog games to date. This is one of the longest discussions we’ve ever had about a single game, but I also think it’s one of the most interesting, and I hope you’ll agree.

Enjoy, and if you need more Last of Us content, the first game happens to be one of the few we’ve reviewed multiple times on the show – here are links to all our Last of Us-focused episodes:

Original Last of Us Review (Episode #54)

Original Last of Us: Left Behind Review (Episode #78)

5-Year Anniversary Last of Us Retrospective (Episode #249)

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #335 – Weekly Suit Gundam 1-Year Anniversary Celebration!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 24 Jun 2020 05:00:08 +0000

Our sister podcast Weekly Suit Gundam, a show exploring the wide and wonderful world of Mobile Suit Gundam, started out this time last year as a summer bonus miniseries. It’s a full-fledged show of its own now, and in this episode, we celebrate a full year of Gundam podcasts by taking a look back at everything we’ve discussed so far. We’ve reviewed 11 Gundam shows or movies to date – Gundam 79, Zeta, ZZ, Char’s Counterattack, Unicorn, F91, Victory, G Gundam, Gundam Wing, After War, and Turn A – and on today’s anniversary celebration episode, we rank the best Songs, Musical Scores, Mobile Suits, and Characters from that pool of 11 works, before making our official Weekly Suit Gundam ranking of everything we reviewed in our first year. It’s a very fun episode, getting into the minutiae with music, mechs, and characters in ways we don’t always have time for in our various reviews, and these are lists we intend to revisit and update as Weekly Suit Gundam continues and we watch, review, and discuss more of this incredible franchise.

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #334 – EA Play 2020, Ian Holm RIP, and Last of Us 2 Impressions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Jun 2020 05:00:21 +0000

It’s a short but sweet episode this week as we cover a few pieces of news, including the passing of beloved actor Ian Holm, best known for his definitive portrayal of Bilbo Baggins in The Lord of the Rings trilogy. We also break down another ‘Not-E3 2020 event’ as EA gave one of their worst, least substantive press conferences ever, and rant about American movie theatres wildly irresponsible move to reopen in the midst of a pandemic. Jonathan gives a quick update on his One Piece progress, and Sean talks about the horrors of watching Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children. And finally, we give some spoiler-free impressions of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II, one of the year’s most anticipated games, ahead of our full spoiler review next week.

Enjoy, and come back Wednesday for a bonus episode celebrating the first anniversary of our sister series, Weekly Suit Gundam!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:35

Stuff: 0:05:35 – 0:16:42

Last of Us 2 Impressions: 0:16:42 – 0:39:57

News: 0:39:57 – 1:26:46

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Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #333 – PS5 Reveal Event, Final Fantasy VII, Destiny 2, and 4K Blu-rays

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 05:00:07 +0000

This week brought the biggest entry yet in “Not E3 2020,” a series of events that would have taken place at E3 2020, if E3 2020 were thing. This time, it was the formal ‘reveal’ event for Sony’s PlayStation 5, with a big swath of game announcements – including a new Spider-Man, Hitman 3, the long-awaited Demon’s Souls remake, and Horizon: Forbidden West – and the unveiling of the console’s physical design. It was an exciting if uneven show, and that wasn’t even the only big gaming news this week, as Bungie also outlined plans for Destiny 2 all the way through 2022. We also talk about playing Final Fantasy VII – Sean playing through the original 1997 classic, Jonathan through this year’s Remake – Sean gives final thoughts on Hitman 5, and Jonathan talks about the subtle but significant visual majesty of 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays, which he finally got to try out for the first time this week.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:12

Stuff: 0:02:12 – 0:49:09

Final Fantasy VII: 0:49:09 – 1:41:56

News: 1:41:56 – 2:04:46

PS5 Reveal: 2:04:46 – 3:29:34

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #332 – Black Lives Matter, F*** the Police, and Reviewing Turn A Gundam

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 05:00:18 +0000

This week’s episode is primarily the topic from today’s Weekly Suit Gundam, our Mobile Suit Gundam-themed sister series, which turns one year old today as we review 1999’s Turn A Gundam, one of the greatest and most thematically rich corners of the entire Gundam universe. But we also take some time at the top of the show to discuss the protests that have grown across the United States and abroad against police brutality and systemic racism. Our perspective as two white guys is only worth so much, obviously, but we wanted to acknowledge the reality of this historic moment, and Sean’s insight as a young public school teacher in a country that prioritizes state violence over education is definitely worth hearing.

We also share a few links to worthy causes we strongly encourage listeners to support, which include:

Black Lives Matter Resource Hub – https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co

Minnesota Freedom Fund – https://minnesotafreedomfund.org

Reclaim the Block – https://www.reclaimtheblock.org/

Black Visions Collective – https://www.blackvisionsmn.org

Colorado Freedom Fund – https://fundly.com/coloradofreedom

National Bail Fund Network – https://www.communityjusticeexchange.org/nbfn-directory

ActBlue Racial Justice Donation – https://secure.actblue.com/donate/bail_funds_george_floyd

George Floyd Memorial Fund – https://www.gofundme.com/f/georgefloyd

Justice For Breonna Taylor – https://www.gofundme.com/f/9v4q2-justice-for-breonna-taylor

I Run With Maud (Ahmaud Arbery Memorial Fund) – https://www.gofundme.com/f/i-run-with-maud

Ramsey Orta Welcome Home Fund – https://www.gofundme.com/f/ramsey-orta-welcome-home-fund

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #331 – After War Gundam X Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 Jun 2020 05:00:12 +0000

This week, we’re sharing an episode of our sister series, Weekly Suit Gundam, where we talk about one of the least known and most underrated corners of the Gundam universe, After War Gundam X. Running for only 39 episodes, its shortened run marked the end of four continuous years of the franchise holding the same time slot on Japanese television. But it’s also a special, woefully underappreciated show, a smart and soulful return to and commentary on the major tropes and archetypes of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s original Gundam cycle, serving as something of an alternate sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam wherein Amuro becomes a dejected, sunglass-wearing Captain mentoring a new Gundam Boy. Full of great characters, excellent storytelling, and thoughtful, bold ideas about Gundam’s past and future, After War Gundam X deserves a greater reputation, and we hope this in-depth podcast conversation is a step in the right direction.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #330 – Snyder’s Justice League, Xbox Elite Controller 2, New TV & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 May 2020 05:00:05 +0000

We’ve got a shorter episode this week, but it’s packed with fun topics, including Jonathan getting a fancy new 4K TV and reviewing the Xbox Elite Controller Series 2, thoughts on finally playing 2018’s Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, and Sean’s joy revisiting Genndy Tartakovsky’s Samurai Jack as an adult. For the main news topics, we discuss the announcement that HBO Max is producing the ‘Zack Snyder Cut’ of Justice League, a new version of the 2017 bomb incorporating footage Snyder shot before exiting the project, which was subsequently finished by Joss Whedon. It’s been a while since we had an excuse to talk about the epic clusterfu*k that is the DC cinematic universe, so it’s a real blast from the past.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:53

Jonathan’s New TV: 0:02:53 – 0:17:43

Xbox Elite Controller 2: 0:17:43 – 0:28:53

Assassin’s Creed Odyssey: 0:28:53 – 0:40:44

Sean’s Stuff, including Samurai Jack: 0:40:44 – 0:54:26

Zack Snyder’s Justice League: 0:54:26 – 1:17:51

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff BONUS – Who’s Your Space Daddy? A STAR WARS Essay by Jonathan Lack

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 20 May 2020 21:27:51 +0000

On today’s bonus episode, we’re doing something different. A few weeks ago, Jonathan teased he was working on a paper for his phD program about Star Wars, and more specifically, the weird, disturbing relationship to nostalgia in the sequel trilogy films, along with other 30-year-later ‘legacy sequels’ that are now flooding the market. The essay was actually informed quite a bit by the discussion we had about The Rise of Skywalker back on episode 309, and other Star Wars conversations we’ve had over the years. Several listeners very kindly asked if they could read the full thing when it was done, so today, we’re sharing the whole paper with you as an audio recording, read by Jonathan. This is an academic paper, not a typical review or online thinkpiece, but we think you’ll enjoy it if you’re interested in the topic. For those who’d like to read the actual text for themselves, it’s available as a PDF at this link, and it includes all of the footnotes and citations that aren’t present in the audio version.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #329 – Ghost of Tsushima, Unreal Engine 5, and Knuckles Raps Jamboree

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 May 2020 05:00:03 +0000

It’s a jam-packed episode this week, as we’re joined by Jonathan’s brother Thomas, fresh off an entire year spent in Japan, to discuss a week’s worth of news, a whole lotta stuff, and a very silly surprise topic at the end. First, we talk a bit more about Jonathan watching Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and take a look back at the original Genndy Tartakovsky’s original Clone Wars from 2003. We also give updates on some games we’re playing, including the new Hatsune Miku for Switch, before diving into the news, which brought us announcements for Paper Mario: The Origami King and a Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater remake, in addition to a big 20-minute display of Sony’s upcoming samurai game Ghost of Tsushima, which looks incredible, and Epic’s unveiling of Unreal Engine 5 with an insanely impressive tech demo. And finally, Thomas a lifelong Sonic the Hedgehog fan, invites us to discuss one of the stranger corners of the Sonic universe by doing live readings and ranking all the ‘Knuckles Raps’ from the Sonic Adventure games (we promise it’ll make more sense when you listen to the full episode).

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:57

Stuff: 0:08:57 – 0:58:48

News: 0:58:48 – 1:41:15

Thomas Talks Japan: 1:41:15 – 2:00:31

Knuckles Raps Surprise Topic: 2:00:31 – 2:44:18

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #328 – Star Wars Clone Wars, Best Lightsaber Duels, Xbox ‘Gameplay’ Event

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 May 2020 05:00:08 +0000

This week promised the much-hyped first look at next-generation gameplay footage from Xbox, but the event was…well, underwhelming, to say the least. A lot of promising titles were introduced, but with almost no gameplay to speak of, how did Xbox and their partners set expectations so disastrously wrong? We talk about all that and more, after a big Star Wars hour at the top of the show. The final season of Star Wars: The Clone Wars finished this week, and we get both a review of that from Sean and some thoughts from Jonathan on starting the series fresh. And to further celebrate Star Wars, we also count down the best lightsaber fights in the live-action movies and the animated TV shows, reminding us how much Star Wars there is to love even with the most recent movie being a steaming pile of bantha fodder.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:57

Star Wars Clone Wars: 0:05:57 – 0:33:23

Best Lightsaber Duels: 0:33:23 – 1:15:05

Xbox Event: 1:15:28 – 2:35:14

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #327 – Streets of Rage 4, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Stuff Smorgasbord, and the 6 Spoiler Commandments

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 May 2020 05:00:12 +0000

This is a week where we absolutely live up to the title of the show, with a crazy glut of random stuff to discuss, from Sean translating a video from Gundam’s 40th anniversary event, to Jonathan reaching a milestone reading One Piece, to Sean telling us about an awesome new anime called Keep Your Hands off Eizouken, to Jonathan talking about the wonders of finally playing Bayonetta, and so on back and forth for a good long while! Jonathan also reviews Streets of Rage 4, and we talk about several pieces of news, including the announcement of Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and The Last of Us Part II leaks, which leads to a discussion about our 6 personal commandments about spoilers in the modern world.

Time Chart:

Intro/Politics Chat: 0:00:00 – 0:19:03

Adventures in Translating: 0:19:03 – 0:33:23

Stuff Smorgasbord: 0:33:23 – 1:27:17

News: 1:27:17 – 1:53:03

Spoiler Commandments: 1:53:03 – 2:17:22

Hatsune Miku: 2:17:22 – 2:23:57

Stream The Weekly Stuff Podcast Episode #327

Download 'The Weekly Stuff' Episode #327 as an MP3

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #326 – Mobile Suit Gundam Wing Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 05:00:10 +0000

After a brief discussion of games we’ve been playing like Bayonetta and Yakuza 5 – and a preview of a Star Wars-themed paper Jonathan is writing with a very weird title – it’s back into the wide, wacky world of Gundam, as we finally reach Mobile Suit Gundam Wing, the 1995 anime that finally brought Gundam to the mainstream in the West when it premiered on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block in 2000. At once a throwback to many iconic pieces of Yoshiyuki Tomino’s original Gundam formula and a bold break with the structure of every Gundam series up to this point, Gundam Wing is a very different experience than anything we’ve talked about before. Initially exhilarating before growing increasingly frustrating, the show is one of the messier entries in the Gundam canon, but nevertheless fascinating to talk about. And the OVA/movie sequel, Endless Waltz, is a real treat for those who stick with it all the way to the end.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:59

Stuff: 0:10:59 – 0:30:53

Gundam Wing: 0:30:53

Stream The Weekly Stuff Podcast Episode #326

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #325 – Next-Gen Console Production, Yakuza, Vanquish, and a game about Quibi

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 20 Apr 2020 05:00:01 +0000

It was a light week in video game news, though a report about improved working conditions at Rockstar Games and some insight into Sony’s production strategy for the PS5 gives us a chance to talk about how games are made and what the future is looking like with next-gen consoles. We also talk about the games we’ve been playing during the shut-in, with Sean returning to Kamurocho for Yakuza 5 and Jonathan discovering the awfulness that is Resident Evil 5 and the awesomeness that is Platinum Games’ recently re-released Vanquish. And finally, just for laughs, we make fun of the very stupid, very not-successful streaming service Quibi with a game pitting the real, incredibly silly shows on the service versus fake, equally silly shows that aren’t.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:12:07

Stuff: 0:12:07 – 0:54:48

News: 0:54:48 – 1:35:39

Quibi Game: 1:35:39 – 2:00:03

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #324 – PS5 Controller, Resident Evil 4, Google Stadia & Listener Mail

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 13 Apr 2020 05:00:28 +0000

It’s a fun grab-bag style episode this week, as we have one big ticket news item – the reveal of the PlayStation 5 controller – and a lot of other random topics, including some great listener mail! First, we tell some more stories from life in the Coronavirus lockdown, including Jonathan drowning his classmates in Terraria. Then, we look back on the masterpiece that is Capcom’s Resident Evil 4, which Jonathan just played for the first time, and discuss the rumor that Capcom may be developing a remake which sounds wholly unnecessary and foolhardy. After debating the apparent strengths and weaknesses of Sony’s new PS5 controller, the ‘DualSense,’ we talk about our experiences trying out Google Stadia during its new free trial period, and we close with a big batch of awesome listener mail questions, ranging from serious to silly.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:40

Stuff: 0:08:40 – 0:31:42

Resident Evil 4: 0:31:42 – 0:59:22

PS5 Controller: 0:59:22 – 1:37:45

Google Stadia: 1:37:45 – 2:01:52

Listener Mail: 2:01:52 – 2:39:52

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #323 – Resident Evil, Classic Doom, Game Delays, and Mobile Fighter G Gundam Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 Apr 2020 05:07:27 +0000

This week is another crossover with our sister series, Weekly Suit Gundam, as we dive deep into the wacky and wonderful world of Alternate Universe Gundam for the first time with 1994’s bizarre Shonen soap-opera classic Mobile Fighter G Gundam, one of the strangest, coolest, and most endearingly heartfelt entries in the entire Gundam franchise. That discussion takes up the bulk of today’s extra-long show, but if you haven’t seen G Gundam, fear not! We also give another update on Life in the Time of Coronavirus, Jonathan talks about playing the remakes of Resident Evil 1, 2, and 3, Sean relays the joys of playing classic Doom and Doom II, and we talk about the indefinite delay of Naughty Dog’s The Last of Us Part II and what this means for AAA video game releases going forward in 2020.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:20:55

Resident Evil: 0:20:55 – 0:47:38

Classic Doom: 0:47:38 – 0:58:30

Game Delays: 0:58:30 – 1:05:09

G Gundam: 1:05:09 – 4:10:03

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #322 – DOOM Eternal Review, Animal Crossing New Horizons & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Mar 2020 05:00:20 +0000

It’s a big week for video games, as we dive deep with the excellent, gargantuan, delightfully brutal DOOM Eternal for a full spoiler review, talk more about Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and Jonathan finally catches up with last year’s outstanding Resident Evil 2 remake! We also give another Coronavirus Lockdown Check-in, full of stories from this very bizarre time we’re all living through, and check in on a little bit of news from Nintendo and the announcement of some new Nier games for the strange franchise’s 10th anniversary.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:22:19

News: 0:22:19 – 0:32:10

Resident Evil 2: 0:32:10 – 0:43:39

Animal Crossing: 0:43:39 – 0:52:22

DOOM Eternal: 0:52:22 – 2:15:08

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #321 – PS5 Specs, Doom & Animal Crossing Impressions, and End of Evangelion Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 23 Mar 2020 05:00:16 +0000

It’s a very busy show this week, as we got our first in-depth look at Sony’s PlayStation 5, finally got to play Doom Eternal and Animal Crossing: New Horizons, and return to Neon Genesis Evangelion to talk about The End of Evangelion. For the games, we just give some quick spoiler-free first impressions – the full review of Doom Eternal will be on next week’s show – while Jonathan also talks about finishing Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Sean gives final thoughts on Yakuza 4. Then we dive deep with the PlayStation 5 news, and the paradox of how badly Sony has botched this entire messaging roll-out compared with how exciting the console is shaping up to be. Both consoles, as we also got some more news on Xbox Series X, and each system seems to have a lot going for it. And finally, in a crossover with our sister show Weekly Suit Gundam,we do Part 2 of our big Evangelion discussion with a long talk about the End of Evangelion film that replaces the controversial ending of the TV show with a lot of big swings and a questionable number of hits.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:15

Games (Doom, Animal Crossing, and more): 0:10:15 – 0:40:54

PS5/Xbox Series X Discussion: 0:40:54 – 1:50:22

End of Evangelion: 1:50:22 – 3:24:13

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #320 – Coronavirus Shut-in Special! (And Doctor Who Series 12 Review)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Mar 2020 05:00:01 +0000

The world is on fire, but the podcast must go on! With Jonathan back in Colorado for the long haul of social distancing, he and Sean get together to talk about what life has been like as Coronavirus hit the United States in full, affecting both of our professions and keeping us at home for the foreseeable future. It’s a crazy time, with all sorts of cancellations and social disruptions, but we also find some time to talk about recent games we’ve been playing, including Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Yakuza 4, and discuss Kotaku’s recent report about continued crunch at NaughtyDog during production of The Last of Us Part II. And for our big topic, we dive deep with Series 12 of Doctor Who, which we didn’t review week to week this year – because Chris Chibnall’s incarnation of the show is, you know, terrible – but hopefully make up for in this extra-long discussion of a show that might be dying a slow, painful death right before our eyes. Something the rest of us can hopefully avoid if we stay at home, wash our hands, and don’t attend any large gatherings!

Enjoy, and stay safe out there!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:26

Life in the Time of Coronavirus: 0:03:26 – 0:38:18

News: 0:38:18 – 1:09:11

Sean Talks Yakuza 4: 1:09:11 – 1:14:55

Jonathan Talks Ori and the Will of the Wisps: 1:14:55 – 1:35:15

Doctor Who Series 12 Review: 1:35:15 – 3:35:06

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #319 – The Neon Genesis Evangelion Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 2 Mar 2020 06:00:07 +0000

A year after the show’s arrival on Netflix, and a year after promising to do an episode all about it, we’ve finally done a Neon Genesis Evangelion episode! A crossover with our sister show Weekly Suit Gundam, we dive deep with the original 26 episodes of Hideaki Anno’s influential classic, and find that, while it has frequently magnificent direction, animation, and voice acting, the story, structure, and themes are a lot more undercooked and problematic. It’s certainly a fascinating show to talk about, and hopefully worth the wait (though big Eva fans might hate us by the end). We also hear from Sean about playing Yakuza 3 from the recent Remastered Collection, talk about the Season 3 updates and Kefla DLC for Dragon Ball FighterZ, and go over a few pieces of recent news, including new details about the Xbox Series X.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:17

Sean Talks Yakuza 3: 0:09:17 – 0:15:40

Dragon Ball FighterZ Season 3: 0:15:40 – 0:24:12

News: 0:24:12 – 0:50:04

Evangelion: 0:50:04 – 3:31:29

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #318 – Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice – Game of the Year 2019

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 06:00:05 +0000

Last week’s countdown of The Top 10 Games of 2019 was one of our longest episodes ever, but we didn’t quite finish the countdown. That’s because our #1 game of the year, FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, was so beautifully, blisteringly good it deserved an episode all of its own, and that’s exactly what we’ve recorded for today: An in-depth, episode-length conversation about one of the very best games we’ve ever had the pleasure to discuss on this show. Sekiro may be the single hardest game either of us has ever beat, and Jonathan in particular had a weird path towards fully embracing what the game has to offer, but we’ve both come out the other side in awe of 2019’s undisputed masterpiece, and between breaking down the bosses, celebrating all the evocative environs, considering the story and characters, and talking about how we learned to stop worrying and love the parry system, Sekiro provides more than enough fodder for this 2-hour discussion.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #317 – The Top 10 Video Games of 2019

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Feb 2020 18:00:13 +0000

After being delayed by Jonathan’s trip to Japan and our Best of the Decade episodes, it’s finally time for our annual countdown of the very best Video Games of the year. And it’s better late than never, because 2019 was a really interesting year for games, and both of us wound up with eclectic, surprising Top 10 lists that don’t look quite like any countdown we’ve done in years past, allowing us to go deep with some games we’ve never talked about before, and revisit favorites that were recurring podcast topics throughout the year. It’s a great conversation, and before that, we also break down two weeks’ worth of news, including some Dragon Ball announcements, a Platinum Games Kickstarter, and more news about the PS5, while Jonathan gives a quick review of the surprisingly good Sonic the Hedgehog movie, a fun and heartfelt film that ensures we’re having a good time talking about video games from the beginning to the end of one of the longest podcasts we’ve ever recorded.

Oh, and this is only Part 1. But you’ll have to listen through to the surprise cliffhanger at the very end to find out why. Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:02

Sonic the Hedgehog and Stuff: 0:03:02 – 0:20:26

News: 0:20:26 – 0:50:00

The Top 10 Games of 2019: 0:50:00 - 4:26:33

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #316 – TV Round-up! The Witcher, Watchmen, and The Mandalorian Reviews!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Feb 2020 06:00:04 +0000

In a very rare move for this podcast, this week’s show is all about American television, as we dive deep with three very different, very good genre shows from the end of 2019: Disney+’s outstanding Star Wars series The Mandalorian, HBO’s wildly ambitious Watchmen, and Netflix’s unexpectedly strong The Witcher. Every one of these shows was a pleasant surprise – some more so than others – and each wrangles a tricky property into serial television in really interesting ways. They’re all worthy of discussion, and it was a lot of fun to break each of them down. Before that, we also give some first impressions of the Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot video game, and talk about the news that Netflix is, inexplicably, developing a live-action One Piece TV series.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:20

Stuff, including DBZ Kakarot: 0:04:20 – 0:24:40

News: 0:24:40 – 0:46:05

The Mandalorian: 0:46:05 – 1:08:00

Watchmen: 1:08:00 – 1:59:36

The Witcher: 1:59:36 – 2:55:20

Politics Chat: 2:55:20 – 3:12:03

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #315 – Japan Quest! Jonathan’s Great Adventure!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 06:00:04 +0000

Jonathan just spent three weeks in Japan over the winter break, and now it’s time to tell all the stories from his adventures in the land of the rising sun! From seeing the life-size Unicorn Gundam in Odaiba to visiting the Studio Ghibli Museum in Mitaka to visiting all sorts of famous temples like Zenkoji, Kinkakuji, and Matsumoto Castle, to meeting the infamous Snow Monkeys of Nagano – there were so many incredible experiences, and this podcast is bursting at the seams with great memories. You’ll also hear all about a wide assortment of Japanese books, magazines, candies, food dishes, and so much more – and even hear a few clips from Karaoke, various shop songs, and the incredible Japanese dub of The Lord of the Rings.

And if you want the best experience possible, make sure to watch this episode of the podcast on our YouTube channel, where we have a special video version with thousands of pictures, dozens of videos, and so much more to accompany all the stories told throughout the episode.

Enjoy!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #314 – Netflix’s Witcher, Game Delays, Byleth in Smash Bros & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 06:00:03 +0000

Jonathan’s just returned from his three-week vacation in Japan, and while we’ll have lots about that trip on next week’s episode, today’s podcast is a quick catch-up, as Sean shares what he’s been up to the last few weeks, including a review of Netflix’s surprisingly good Witcher series. Then we cover some recent gaming news, including delays for major games like Cyberpunk 2077, Avengers, and Final Fantasy VII Remake, and this week’s Nintendo Direct unveiling Byleth in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. And finally, we mercilessly make fun of Sony’s Morbius trailer, the unholy real-life manifestation of a joke we made on the podcast way back in 2012.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #313 – The Best (and Most Important) Video Games of the Decade, 2010-2019

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 06:00:01 +0000

Today is the third and final part of our three-part podcast series celebrating the best of the decade, as we look at the best and most significant Video Games of the 2010s. One of the primary subjects of our podcast throughout this decade, we’ve got a lot of thoughts on which games most shaped the past ten years, and we’ve divided our discussion into two segments: First, our respective lists of the Top 10 Video Games of the 2010s, with each host delivering their own thoughts on which games were subjectively the ‘best’ from the past 10 years. Second, we put our heads together to determine which were the most important and influential games from the 2010s – putting quality aside, which games had the greatest impact on the industry, the art form, and the shape of video games to come? We talk through, debate, and collectively create a list of the 10 most important games from the past 10 years, in one of the most enjoyable and intellectually engaging conversations we’ve ever had.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #312 – Sean’s Anime Episode! The Best Anime of the Decade, 2010-2019

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 Jan 2020 06:00:09 +0000

For our first show of 2020, we’re continuing our three-part podcast series celebrating the best of the decade that was the 2010s. This week, it’s all anime (and all Sean) all the time, as Sean, our podcast’s resident prolific anime viewer, tells us about the 50 best animated shows from Japan he watched these past ten years. There’s a detailed Top 10 and then a slightly-less-detailed list of 40 honorable mentions, so if you’re looking for some anime recommendations, there’s a solid decade’s worth to keep you busy here! And before that, Jonathan counts down his list of the Top 10 Live Action shows from the past decade, giving us one last chance to talk about the Twin Peaks revival, Parks and Recreation, the Steven Moffat years of Doctor Who, and more.

Enjoy, and come back next week as we count down the best Video Games of the 2010s!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #311 – The Best Films of the Decade, 2010-2019

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Dec 2019 06:00:20 +0000

For our final show of 2019, we’re kicking off a three-part podcast series celebrating the best of the decade, starting today with the Best Films of the 2010s. Jonathan’s been a working film critic and film academic for most of the past ten years, and while Sean’s been to the movies less frequently this decade, 10 years is still plenty of time to see some truly great films. So today, we’re counting down the best of the best – each host has a Top 10 list of the decade’s greatest films, and Jonathan also has an additional 40 (!) honorable mentions, bringing his list to a round 50. All told, we’re discussing dozens of great films today, from George Miller’s Mad Max Fury Road to Terrence Malick’s The Tree of Life to the Persona 3 movie series we podcasted extensively about over the years, and sending both 2019 and the decade out with a real bang.

Enjoy, and thanks for another great year – and a great decade! – of podcasting. See you on the other side.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #310 – A Weekly Stuff Christmas Carol

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 06:00:02 +0000

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and welcome to our 2nd annual Weekly Stuff Christmas Special! After we gave a live-reaction to Pokémon Christmas Bash, the worst Christmas album of all time, on last year’s special, we’re upping the ante this year with a live performance of the worst adaptation of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol money can buy: A ‘Christian’ Carol, an Evangelist stage play that shifts the action of Dickens’ text from Victorian London to the American Old West, transforms the central theme from learning the value of kindness and generosity to accepting Jesus Christ as one’s lord and savior, and includes the phrase “mumbo jumbo churchy talk nonsense” a staggering nine times! With Sean in the lead role of Ebenezer Scrooge and Jonathan playing the surprisingly verbose narrator and the ‘Angels’ of Christmas past, present, and future, it’s an extremely silly good time as we read to you one of the few truly awful adaptations of the Charles Dickens classic.

Enjoy, and come back next week for the start of our three-part ‘Best of the Decade’ series!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #309 – Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 23 Dec 2019 06:00:19 +0000

Disney’s Star Wars Sequel Trilogy came to a close this week with The Rise of Skywalker,Episode IX in the long-running saga and the final adventure for characters like Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren. And it’s a pretty baffling finale too, built on a terrible script with nonsensical plotting, confusing character motivations, and a collection of the worst and stupidest twists Star Wars has ever seen. The cast is game, John Williams does his thing, and the visuals are occasionally nice, but this is bottom of the barrel for Star Wars – and, if we’re being perfectly honest, a pretty fun movie to rip into for three hours on this podcast. We discuss the film in excruciating detail, and finish out the show by chatting about episodes 6 and 7 of The Mandalorian,which were so spectacular they’re pretty much the exact qualitative polar opposite of Episode IX.

Enjoy, and come back Wednesday for our 2nd annual Weekly Stuff Christmas Special – which will be a crazy amount of fun!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #12 – Victory Gundam Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 19 Dec 2019 06:00:15 +0000

Our first year of Weekly Suit Gundam comes to a close as we reach the end of the Universal Century with 1993’s Mobile Suit Victory Gundam, the final full series set in the Universal Century and the last before creator Yoshiyuki Tomino took a break from the franchise and Sunrise branched out into Alternate Universe stories. Victory Gundam is famously one of the darkest installments in the series, with a large cast, a shockingly high mortality rate, and the youngest protagonist so far in 13-year-old Uso Ewin. It’s also one of Gundam’s most commonly underrated achievements, an imperfect but frequently brilliant series that contains some of the best moments, characters, action sequences, and episodes, and which lingers long after one finishes watching. We dive deep with the series, but also reflect on our first year of the Weekly Suit Gundam podcast, look towards the future, and discuss Fathom Events’ recent theatrical screening of Char’s Counterattack to celebrate Gundam’s 40th anniversary.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #308 – Xbox Series X Announcement & Game Awards 2019

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Dec 2019 06:00:02 +0000

The Game Awards weren’t as eventful in 2019 as they have been in previous years, with the big exception of Microsoft surprising everyone with the formal unveiling of the next generation’s Xbox…and its terrible, horrible, no good very bad name: the Xbox Series X. There’s a lot of promising stuff to be excited for in Microsoft’s new system, but that name is a breathtaking stinker somehow even more confusing than the third Xbox being called the Xbox One, and we have…thoughts. The awards themselves are also discussed, along with trailers for Hellblade II, Final Fantasy VII Remake, and Bravely Default II, and we make fun of a very bad looking Fast & Furious game.

Enjoy, and come back Thursday for the next episode of Weekly Suit Gundam, where we’ll be talking all about 1993’s Mobile Suit Victory Gundam!

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The Weekly Stuff #307 – Death Stranding, Pokemon Sword & Shield, Xbox News, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 9 Dec 2019 06:00:09 +0000

We’ve got two big video reviews for you this week, as Sean tells us all about the wacky world of Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, and Jonathan gives final thoughts on Pokemon Sword & Shield. One of these games is very straightforward to discuss, and one is more…um, confusing, but both are well worth your attention, and they were a lot of fun to talk about. We also talk about our respective Thanksgivings and go over some Black Friday purchases, including Jonathan’s shiny new Xbox One SAD edition, before diving into some news, including reports about Microsoft’s plan for the next-generation Xbox and Disney’s refusal to let Star Wars characters be gay. And at the end, we discuss episodes 4 and 5 of The Mandalorian, which continue the show’s hot streak.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:10

Stuff: 0:02:10 – 0:42:10

News: 0:42:10 – 1:23:50

Pokemon Sword & Shield: 1:23:50 – 1:43:34

Death Stranding: 1:43:34 – 2:36:00

The Mandalorian: 2:36:00 – 2:53:33

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #306 – Reviewing The Mandalorian & Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Nov 2019 06:00:04 +0000

It’s a Star Wars heavy show this week, as we discuss the first three episodes of The Mandalorian on Disney+ and give final thoughts on the video game Jedi Fallen Order, following up on our initial discussion last week. These are both excellent pieces of Star Wars media, effectively doing things we haven’t seen from the franchise before, and combined, they have us more enthusiastic about the state of Star Wars than at any point this decade. We also talk about the surprising announcement of a new Half-Life VR game, and do a live review of the 8bitdo ‘Lite’ gamepad, which is easily the weirdest controller either of us have ever used.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:40

8bitdo Lite Controller Review: 0:05:40 – 0:16:17

Half-Life Alyx Announcement: 0:16:17 – 0:32:33

Jedi Fallen Order: 0:32:33 – 1:08:25

The Mandalorian: 1:08:25 – 1:37:03

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #305 – Star Wars Jedi Fallen Order, Pokemon Sword & Shield, Disney+, Xbox News, Movie Reviews, Streaming Trivia, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Nov 2019 06:00:13 +0000

In one of the busiest, most jam-packed podcasts we’ve ever recorded, we give first impressions of the week’s two major video game releases, Pokemon Sword & Shield for Nintendo Switch and Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for the PS4. Star Wars in particular is an incredibly surprising, exciting game, and gives us a lot to talk about without ever touching on any spoilers. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Jonathan also reviews a slew of November movies – Jojo Rabbit, Doctor Sleep, Ford v Ferrari and Parasite – Sean gushes over Criterion’s Godzilla collection, we discuss Sonic the Hedgehog’s Hollywood makeover, cover all the news out of Microsoft’s X019 event, talk about the future of Bioware’s Anthem, discuss the launch of Disney+, and to cap it all off, play a very silly trivia game about the ridiculous nature of the streaming video landscape.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:15

Stuff: 0:07:15 – 0:23:57

Jonathan’s Movie Reviews: 0:23:57 – 0:42:23

Movie News: 0:42:23 – 1:15:37

Gaming News: 1:15:37 – 1:57:13

Pokemon: 1:57:13 – 2:11:18

Jedi Fallen Order: 2:11:18 – 3:01:05

Disney+: 3:01:05 – 3:10:20

Streaming Service Trivia Game: 3:10:20 – 3:26:57

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #304 – Blizzard Announcements, Criterion Recommendations, Star Wars News, and the Long, Sad Story of the Demon Couch From Hell

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Nov 2019 06:00:04 +0000

Blizzard’s annual BlizzConevent took place this week amidst a storm of political controversy, but the two major announcements the company showed off were incredible, with both Diablo IV and Overwatch 2 delivering jaw-dropping cinematic short films and impressive gameplay reels. That’s just the tip of the iceberg for this week’s podcast, though, as we also hear first impressions from Sean on Obsidian’s The Outer Worlds, talk about the latest in a long line of unqualified white guys to be fired from Star Wars, discuss the Game of Thrones spin-off news, and some interesting sales figures for the PS4 and Nintendo Switch. We also preview Criterion’s incredible Godzilla box set and, in honor of the November Criterion sale at Barnes & Noble, Jonathan, a Criterion Collection obsessive, gives 15 recommendations for releases worth buying this month. And we cap it all off with a bit of story time, as Jonathan regales us with the long, sad, winding saga of the Demon Couch from Hell.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:05

Sean talks Outer Worlds: 0:04:05 – 0:11:49

Godzilla Box Set & Criterion Recommendations: 0:11:49 – 0:38:18

Star Wars Ideas & News: 0:38:18 – 1:04:22

Other News: 1:04:22 – 1:24:25

Blizzard News: 1:24:25 – 1:49:25

The Demon Couch: 1:49:25 – 2:06:49

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #11 – Gundam F91 Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 05:00:03 +0000

Our journey through Universal Century Gundam continues with one of the strangest and most rewarding corners of the franchise, the 1991 theatrical feature Mobile Suit Gundam F91. Written and Directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino and reuniting him with Gundam’s original character designer, Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, and original mecha designer, Kunio Okawara, Gundam F91 was the first attempt to move beyond the original Universal Century saga that had reached its culmination in Char’s Counterattack. Set 30 years later, with an all-new cast of heroes and antagonists, F91 was originally intended to be a full 50-episode TV series, before plans fell through and Tomino and company were left scrambling to fit their story into a 2-hour feature. The result is, indeed, a mess, albeit a fascinating one, filled with some of the richest and most affecting material the franchise has ever conjured, brought to life with some of the best animation ever committed to film. There’s no doubt it’s an oddity and outlier in the history of Gundam, but it’s also essential viewing for fans of the series – and it leads to one of our most enjoyable conversations so far.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #303 – Modern Warfare, Witcher 3 on Switch, Star Wars IX Trailer and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 28 Oct 2019 05:00:24 +0000

WARNING: This episode contains potential SPOILERS for STAR WARS: THE RISE OF SKYWALKER, based on internet leaks about the film. This discussion takes place between 1:05:03 and 1:09:36. Please skip if you do not want to hear any possible leaked information about the film.

It’s a packed grab-bag episode this week, as Sean talks about playing the campaign for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare and finishing Devil May Cry 5, Jonathan waxes poetic about his rediscovered love for The Witcher 3 on Nintendo Switch, and we discuss a bunch of news, from delays for The Last of Us Part II and Watch Dogs Legion, new casting for the upcoming Batman movie, the final trailer for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, and a hilariously tone-deaf interview with the incompetent creators of Game of Thrones. We also figure out the exact circumstances that would cause the two of us to end this podcast and never speak again, and in a moment of Star-Wars-related ennui, Jonathan almost walks off the podcast forever. It’s a crazy one.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:10

Devil May Cry 5: 0:04:10 – 0:08:09

Witcher 3 on Switch: 0:08:09 – 0:34:25

Modern Warfare: 0:34:25 – 0:52:16

Star Wars News: 0:52:16 – 1:05:03

**POSSIBLE STAR WARS SPOILERS**: 1:05:03 – 1:09:36

More News: 1:09:36 – 1:44:05

Stream The Weekly Stuff Podcast Episode #303

Download 'The Weekly Stuff' Episode #303 as an MP3

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #302 – El Camino, PS5 News, Gemini Man and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 Oct 2019 05:00:05 +0000

Breaking Bad returned this week with the all-new sequel movie, El Camino, written and directed by Vince Gilligan and starring Aaron Paul, proving itself a pretty fantastic opportunity to dive back into seemingly well-explored territory. We talk about the movie at length (with spoilers reserved for our big segment at the end), but before that, there’s also a bevy of news to go over, including the surprise delay of Doom Eternal, Sony’s low-key announcement of the PlayStation 5, and Blizzard getting itself into hot water with its response to a Heartstone player’s pro-Hong Kong freedom remarks. Jonathan talks about seeing Ang Lee’s Gemini Man in 60 frames-per-second 3D, Sean talks about finally getting around to Devil May Cry 5, and we both make a lot of fun of the new Dolittle trailer starring Robert Downey Jr. and some strikingly awful CGI.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:24

Stuff, including Gemini Man and Devil May Cry 5: 0:03:24 – 0:28:15

News: 0:28:15 – 1:36:27

El Camino Review: 1:36:27 – 2:35:16

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #301 – Our Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of All Time, Part 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 7 Oct 2019 05:20:19 +0000

Our 300th episode milestone celebration continues this week with Part 2 of our countdown of our Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of All Time! Last week’s discussion proved surprising, as our lists had no overlap and a lot of surprises. Part 2 finds us covering a similarly broad range of shows, and while our Top 2 choices may not exactly be revelations to longtime listeners, they give us a chance to talk once more not just about our favorite television, but about some of our favorite memories recording 300 of these podcasts. It’s a really fun topic, and this week’s show also includes Jonathan’s thoughts on the new Joker movie, Sean talking about the new DLC for Dragon Ball FighterZ, and more, all wrapped up in an absurdly long 4-hour package that concludes our 300thepisode festivities with aplomb.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:20

Stuff: 0:03:20 – 0:36:31

Joker: 0:36:31 – 0:50:53

Top 10 TV Shows Part 2: 0:50:53 – 3:58:28

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #300 – Our Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of All Time, Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Sep 2019 05:00:05 +0000

300 is a big number. A terrifyingly big number. And we’ve got an intimidatingly large episode to go along with it. Following in the footsteps of our milestone Episodes 200 and 250, where we counted down our favorite Films and Video Games, this week, we present our personal lists of our Top 10 Favorite TV Shows of All Time. It’s a big discussion that’s going to spill over into next week’s Part 2, but this first half is a blast, as Sean and Jonathan don’t share a single show on the bottom half of their lists, Sean reveals he’s seen a lot more canonical American television than we were led to believe, and Jonathan straight up cheats to make a particular entry work. It’s a very fun conversation, and it’s only half the episode! We also review The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening and give first impressions of Dragon Quest XI S, both on Nintendo Switch, talk about The Last of Us Part II getting a new trailer and release date, discuss Sony and Marvel’s beautiful reunion, and most importantly, celebrate 300 episodes and nearly a full decade of podcasting with some long-awaited introspection. What are our favorite episodes? Our least favorite? What are we proudest of, what have we learned, and how did this whole crazy journey begin? All that plus a big slice of wonderful listener mail rounds out a 300thepisode that we hope offers a little of everything that makes this podcast special.

Enjoy, and join us next week for the exciting conclusion!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:14

Stuff (including Link’s Awakening and Dragon Quest XI S): 0:06:14 – 0:27:43

News: 0:27:34 – 0:40:15

Podcast 300 Retrospective Celebration: 0:40:15 – 1:42:41

Top 10 TV Shows Part 1: 1:42:41 – 3:43:31

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #10 - Unicorn Gundam & Narrative Gundam Review and Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 23 Sep 2019 05:05:15 +0000

Released in seven parts from 2010 to 2014, Mobile Suit Gundam Unicorn is an extravagant OVA sequel to the original saga of Universal Century Gundam, set three years after Char’s Counterattack and engaging in a direct, deeply thoughtful dialogue with the major themes and ideas of the franchise’s 70s and 80s output. It’s also a spectacular production, with movie-caliber animation, an all-time great score by Hiroyuki Sawano, and some of the greatest mobile suit action the franchise has ever seen. We dive deep with the series on this week’s show, while also touching upon Unicorn’s own movie sequel, Mobile Suit Gundam Narrative, the 2018 film that stands as the most recent entry in the Universal Century canon.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #299 – Astral Chain & Control Reviews, Sean Fact Checks Jonathan, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Sep 2019 05:05:05 +0000

After a few weeks away from the main podcast, Sean and Jonathan are both back for a fun, oftentimes extremely silly episode. We review Platinum Games’ Astral Chain for the Nintendo Switch and Remedy’s Control for PS4 and Xbox, but also debate whether Goku or Superman would win in a fight, taste test a new mystery Mountain Dew flavor live on the air, hear a list of fact checks from Sean on Jonathan’s Nintendo Direct comments on last week’s bonus podcast, and there may or may not also be an impromptu dramatic reading of Joe Biden’s viral ‘Corn Pop’ speech. So yeah. It’s a weird one, and I’d say we sent out the 200s with a bang.

Enjoy, and onwards to Episode 300!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:22

Stuff: 0:04:22 – 0:26:08

Sean Fact Checks Jonathan: 0:26:08 – 0:56:09

Astral Chain: 0:56:09 – 1:20:50

Control: 1:20:50 – 1:52:27

Dramatic Corn Pop Reading: 1:52:27 – 2:08:25

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[1]: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6QsXZYt12NIzF224GKBA0g

[2]: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/weekly-stuff-podcast-jonathan/id535584943?mt=2

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #09 - Char's Counterattack Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 10 Sep 2019 05:05:24 +0000

The original saga of Mobile Suit Gundam reaches its spectacular climax with Char’s Counterattack, the 1988 theatrical film that reunites Char Aznable and Amuro Ray for one final conflict, and sees Yoshiyuki Tomino and company bringing these characters, their story, and the major themes of the series up to now home with astonishing aplomb. As the first original movie in the franchise’s history, Char’s Counterattack boasts incredible production values and some of the greatest animation we’ve ever seen, but it’s also a deeply intelligent, incredibly thoughtful capper to all the big ideas, character arcs, and interpersonal conflicts broached in the original three TV series. And after spending so much time talking about the ingenious character creation that is Char, this movie gives us ample opportunity to put the character and his complex evolution in context, leading to one of the best conversations we’ve had about Gundam so far.

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The Weekly Stuff #298.5 - Nintendo Direct September Reactions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 9 Sep 2019 05:05:12 +0000

It’s time for another episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman, a weekly audio show that explores the worlds of film, television, and video games. You can subscribe for free in iTunes by following this link.

Sean couldn’t record this week, and we didn’t want to let this week’s exciting, jam-packed surprise Nintendo Direct go unremarked upon for another week, so Jonathan grabbed the mic to do a quick solo podcast – and a surprise last minute guest was able to join! Along with his brother Thomas, recording from Japan, we break down every major announcement from the Nintendo Direct, from the reveal of another Smash Bros. fighter to a whole lot of ports, to the Super NES finally coming to Nintendo Switch Online, and much more!

Enjoy, and if you want a full podcast with Sean this week, be sure to listen to tomorrow’s new episode of Weekly Suit Gundam, our special bonus Mobile Suit Gundam podcast.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #08 – Gundam ZZ Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 2 Sep 2019 05:05:21 +0000

After the abject darkness that was the ending of Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, we come out on the other side to review and discuss its immediate successor, Mobile Suit Gundam ZZ, a show that appears lighter at first glance…but is it? ZZ has a bad reputation among Western fans, but we’d argue it’s a deeply misunderstood and underappreciated gem, an essential follow-up to Zeta Gundam that masterfully shifts the franchise’s POV, boasts stunning visuals from start to finish, and is chock full of great characters, both heroes and villains alike. As the final TV entry in the initial Gundam trilogy, it wraps up the first saga of the Universal Century with aplomb, challenging much of what we thought we know and taking the series to bold, compelling new places along the way. It’s not one to miss, and this jam-packed discussion is a lot of fun.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #298 – Spider-Man’s MCU Split, The Matrix Returns, Disney’s D23 Announcements, and much more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Aug 2019 05:00:07 +0000

It’s an absolute explosion of entertainment news this week, with Spider-Man getting a divorce from the MCU, WB relaunching The Matrix franchise 20 years after the original, the unveiling of the Breaking Bad movie El Camino, Gamescom underway in Germany, Disney showing off all sorts of Star Wars, Marvel, and various animated and live-action content for the Disney+ streaming platform and theatres, and Sony losing their fifth Uncharted director in a decade-plus of trying to bring the game series to the screen. We go over all of that, talk about the time Bruce Springsteen almost had a song play in a Harry Potter movie, and much more in this jam-packed installment of the podcast.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:41
Stuff: 0:06:41 – 0:33:52
Gaming News: 0:33:52 – 1:09:01
Movie News: 1:09:01 – 1:36:47
Spider-Man News: 1:36:47 – 1:57:18
D23 News: 1:57:18 – 2:58:30
Sony’s Uncharted Adventure: 2:58:30 – 3:19:56

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #07 - Zeta Gundam Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 06:00:17 +0000

In this episode, Weekly Suit Gundam goes beyond its original missive of reviewing the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam by jumping ahead for a deep dive with the second series in the Gundam franchise, and one of the most beloved: Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the sequel set in 0087 that sees new protagonist Kamille Bidan joining forces with the AEUG – and several familiar faces, including the mysterious, sunglass-wearing Quattro Bajeena – to fight against the fascistic takeover of the Earth Federation by the evil Titans. Now that Jonathan’s binged the entire 50-episode series in just over a week, we have a lot to talk about, from how beautifully this series functions as a bold, thoughtful sequel to the original, to its blend of new and returning characters, to how impactfully its political content resonates with our current moment. It’s one of the greatest anime series of all time – with as dark an ending as you’re ever likely to see – and that’s more than enough for a packed episode’s worth of discussion.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #297 - Fire Emblem Three Houses Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Aug 2019 05:00:03 +0000

As summer comes to a close and our non-podcast lives get busy again, it’s a shorter podcast this week, centered around Jonathan’s thoughts after 70 hours of Fire Emblem: Three Houses on Nintendo Switch. It’s a very good game, great in many ways, and has many ‘series best’ superlative qualities. Why, then, does Jonathan feel so conflicted about it after playing so much? There’s a lot to break down and it makes up the bulk of the episode (all spoiler free), but we also make time for a few exciting pieces of housekeeping – the podcast is now on Spotify! – and Sean talks about rewatching Neon Genesis Evangelion on Netflix only to find that it’s more problematic than he remembered.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:17
Sean Talks Evangelion: 0:09:17 – 0:15:42
Fire Emblem Three Houses Review: 0:15:42 – 0:52:43

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #06 – Gundam Film Trilogy & One-Year War Wrap-up

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 6 Aug 2019 05:00:14 +0000

Our first ‘season’ of Weekly Suit Gundam comes to a close with a big, fun, celebratory ‘wrap-up’ episode. For our main topic, we discuss the series of theatrical films, released between 1981 and 1982, that compiled and reworked the original Mobile Suit Gundam into a surprisingly effective film trilogy that saved the series from its initial lack of popularity and helped launch the franchise into the stratosphere. That’s a great discussion in and of itself, but it’s not all! We also briefly review all the other One-Year War series – Gundam: The Origin, War in the Pocket, The 08th MS Team, and Thunderbolt – talk about some Gundam manga and books, and count down the Top 10 Best Mobile Suits, Best Character Names, and Greatest Episodes of the original series. It’s a fun, jam-packed episode saluting one of the best anime series of all time, and a fitting celebration for Gundam’s 40th anniversary.

Enjoy, and stick around to the end, because while this may be the end of what we planned to do with Weekly Suit Gundam, it’s certainly not the last you’ve heard of our Gundam talks.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #05 - Reviewing Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 Episodes 39-43

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 1 Aug 2019 11:00:14 +0000

It’s the final stretch of Mobile Suit Gundam – episodes 39 through 43 – and if you thought a mere five episodes wouldn’t be enough to fill a full installment of this podcast, you clearly haven’t seen the absurdly jam-packed final push of this incredible show. With the strange, metaphysical concept of ‘Newtypes’ taking center stage, Gundam’s closing episodes are both its most action-packed and its most boldly experimental, as Amuro comes fully into his new abilities and Char tries to harness the powers of the mysterious Lalah Sune. It wasn’t exactly the ending creator Yoshiyuki Tomino and company had in mind – the series was cut from 52 to 43 episodes, with these final five installments having to tell a much-condensed version of a longer original game plan – but as we argue here, it’s nonetheless a stirring, pitch-perfect ending to this all-time great anime, and one worth the deep dive we give it here.

Enjoy, and come back next time for our final episode (for now!) of Weekly Suit Gundam, where we’ll be talking the compilation movie trilogy from 1981-1982 that sent Gundam’s popularity into the stratosphere.

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The Weekly Stuff #296 – Revisiting The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 29 Jul 2019 05:00:02 +0000

Our trilogy of The Lord of the Rings retrospectives comes to a close this week, as we dive deep with The Return of the King, the final installment in Peter Jackson’s legendary adaptation. Sixteen years later, does the film hold up as well as its predecessors, and what do we see in it now, older and in the context of a very different cinematic and cultural landscape, that we could not glimpse then? It’s a long conversation befitting this absolute behemoth of a film, but we also make time to talk about Criterion’s announcement of their Godzilla: The Showa Era Films box set for Spine #1000, Sean tells us about falling in love with the wonderful world of Dragon Quest Builders 2, and Jonathan gives first impressions on Fire Emblem: Three Houses after one weekend and 13 hours of play.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:45
Godzilla for Criterion #1000: 0:03:45 – 0:14:45
Dragon Quest Builders 2: 0:14:45 – 0:34:51
Fire Emblem Three Houses: 0:34:51 – 1:02:58
Revisiting The Return of the King: 1:02:58 – 4:06:32

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #295 - Marvel Phase 4 News, Cats Trailer, Judgment, Dragon Quest Builders 2 & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 24 Jul 2019 05:00:21 +0000

A packed week called for two podcasts, so we’re back for a second time this week to talk all the news out of Comic-Con, from trailers for Star Trek: Picard and HBO’s Watchmen to Marvel unveiling their entire Phase 4 slate, which was not only full of surprises, but some of the best superhero movie titles (and, in the case of Thor: Love & Thunder, title treatments) we’ve ever seen. We also have the abject terror of the Cats trailer to deal with, Jonathan reviews Disney’s new, very boring The Lion King remake and the new, very exciting Hong Kong crime drama The White Storm 2, and we cap it all off with reviews of Judgment on PS4 and Dragon Quest Builders 2 on Switch.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:00
Movie Reviews: 0:04:00 – 0:38:15
Cats Trailer: 0:38:15 – 0:51:18
Other News: 0:51:18 – 1:14:12
Marvel at Comic-Con: 1:14:12 – 1:50:14
Judgment: 1:50:14 – 2:05:33
Dragon Quest Builders 2: 2:05:33 – 2:29:44

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #294 – Our Top 10 Favorite Video Game Soundtracks, Part 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Jul 2019 05:00:17 +0000

Last week, we offered the first half of one of the coolest podcast topics we’ve ever done, counting down our 10 Favorite Video Game Soundtracks! This week, we’re back with Part 2, diving deep with our top 4 choices and sampling nearly 100 different wonderful pieces of video game music along the way. Touching on several of our most beloved gaming franchises, along with some surprise deep cuts, and listing a bunch of honorable mentions, this episode is another fun celebration of the music we love most in video games.

Enjoy, and come back Wednesday for an additional podcast, where we’ll be talking all the news out of Comic-Con, including Marvel unveiling their Phase 4 plans, along with Sean and Jonathan’s respective reviews of Judgment and Dragon Quest Builders 2.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #04 - Reviewing Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 Episodes 26-38

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 11:00:25 +0000

The end is near for Mobile Suit Gundam, as this set of episodes – #26-38 – finds the crew of the White Base becoming fully integrated into the Federation’s forces, visiting the military’s biggest base of operations, and returning to space for an assault on the Zeon stronghold of Solomon and, finally, a duel…in Texas! It’s another sterling set of episodes, this bunch more action-packed than ever, but also dense with revelations and major plot developments, culminating in a series of major reveals that reshape the stakes of the conflict and where our major characters stand, with just five episodes left to go. We’ll get to those next time, but for now, this is an incredibly juicy, wildly entertaining, and as always shockingly sobering set of episodes worth diving deep with.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #293 - Our Top 10 Favorite Video Game Soundtracks, Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 15 Jul 2019 00:05:13 +0000

There’s little we love more than a good video game soundtrack – the music that connects us with our most treasured gaming experiences, drawing us in with emotion, grandeur, thrills, and wonder. There are so many great ones, we’ve wanted to count down our favorites for a while, and this week, we’re doing just that – it’s our Top 10 Favorite Video Game Soundtracks! Sean and Jonathan have each compiled their own Top 10 lists, Jonathan’ brother (and actual musician) Thomas has sent in his own, and with a bunch of listener contributions, we’re discussing over 20 amazing soundtracks in this episode alone, with over 75 pieces of video game music sampled to give you a sense of the musical worlds we’re talking about. And this is just Part 1! The discussion was simply too big to fit in one episode, so while we count down #10 - #5 on our lists this week, we’ll be back next week with #4 - #1, Honorable Mentions, and much more! This is one of our favorite episodes we’ve ever put together, and we hope you have as much fun listening as we had making it.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:07:10
Nintendo Switch Lite News: 0:07:10 – 0:23:05
Favorite Video Game Soundtracks, Part 1: 0:23:05 – 2:45:10

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #292 – Spider-Man: Far From Home, Judgment, Persona Q2 & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Jul 2019 06:00:04 +0000

The golden age of Spider-Man continues, with Far From Home, the latest MCU movie, arriving on the heels of Into the Spider-Verse, Insomniac’s Spider-Man video game, and Spidey’s recent appearances in the Avengers films – and the hits just keep on coming, because Far From Home is an absolute blast. It’s a wildly entertaining, wonderfully funny film with a good heart and a lot of creativity, one that manages to both take Spider-Man to places he’s never been before (geographically and thematically) while also doing an unexpectedly fantastic job with one of his most wonderfully bizarre villains, Mysterio. The film is a lot of fun to talk about, but before that, Sean gives first impressions on Judgment for PS4, Jonathan shares some thoughts on Persona Q2 for 3DS from his brother Thomas, and we go over the sadly hilarious saga of WB tripping on rakes trying to make a Flash movie for the better part of this decade.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:12:10
Persona Q2 Review: 0:12:10 – 0:19:43
Judgment Impressions: 0:19:43 – 0:34:37
Spider-Man DLC & Police Story: 0:34:37 – 0:48:55
News: 0:48:55 – 1:00:16
Spider-Man Far From Home: 1:00:16 – 2:34:26

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #03 - Reviewing Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 #14-25

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 4 Jul 2019 06:00:27 +0000

As we hit the middle stretch of Mobile Suit Gundam and discuss episodes 14 through 25, the show gets increasingly dark, with the challenges faced by the crew of the White Base growing ever more perilous. We’re introduced to new foes like M’quve and Kycilia Zabi, alongside the inimitable Ramba Ral and his companion Hamon, enemies who present Amuro and Bright their fiercest opponents yet, but are also perhaps the most honorable and upstanding characters on the series to date. As the lines between ‘good’ and ‘evil’ grow ever blurrier, the body count starts piling up, and series creator Yoshiyuki Tomino more than earns his nickname, “Kill ‘Em All Tomino.” It’s another terrific, if frequently depressing, set of episodes, as we round the halfway point of the series and head into the back half full steam ahead.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #291 - The Game of Thrones Episode

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 Jul 2019 11:00:07 +0000

You’ve wanted it. You’ve asked for it. You’ve waited for it. And now, it’s here – the Game of Thrones episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcasts. Both hosts have seen the entire series, and now we’re here to digest the entire thing, and the unmitigated creative disaster that was the final two seasons in particular. What happened to the writing, what the heck was up with that ‘capture a wight beyond the wall’ plan, why is Euron Greyjoy the worst character in the history of television, and what happens when you do an anime-only fan service ending, but with 90-minute episodes and a seemingly bottomless budget? All this and more will be answered over the course of our very punchy conversation, and before that, we talk Super Mario Maker 2 and Outer Wilds, chat about the slump in the 2019 summer box office, and Jonathan relates the best joke he’s ever heard in a movie theatre.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:04:45
Summer Box Office Talk: 0:04:45 – 0:23:45
Stuff: 0:23:45 – 1:01:09
Game of Thrones: 3:07:47

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #290 – Revisiting The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 25 Jun 2019 11:00:07 +0000

Back on Episode 277, we started our latest movie retrospective series, looking back at Peter Jackson’s Lord of the Rings film trilogy with The Fellowship of the Ring. A few months and many delays later, we’re finally back to talk The Two Towers, the second film in the trilogy and another masterful entry in this all-time great work of cinematic storytelling and craftsmanship. With the Fellowship scattered and the action moving East towards Rohan, The Two Towers expands the world of Middle Earth and deepens the conflict, but this is no mere middle chapter setting the stage for bigger things to come. It’s just as fascinating and enjoyable to talk about as Fellowship, and we break it all down to the level of extreme detail this great movie deserves.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:07:49
Stuff: 0:07:49 – 1:01:04
Two Towers: 1:01:04 – 3:23:14

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Weekly Suit Gundam #02 - Reviewing Mobile Suit Gundam 0079 #03-13

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 20 Jun 2019 11:00:14 +0000

After giving an overview of the Mecha genre and talking about the first two episodes last time, we dive deep into the meat of Mobile Suit Gundam on this week’s episode, discussing Episodes three through thirteen, a stretch which sees Amuro struggling with the surmounting stress of piloting the Gundam, Bright navigating his unexpected leadership, and Char deliciously manipulating supposed friend Garma Zabi to mysterious ends. It’s a terrific set of episodes that establishes the show’s episode structure and major themes, culminating in a brutally dark episode that makes it clear this is no lighthearted space opera – and why this show deserves the thorough look-back we’re giving it on this podcast.

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The Weekly Stuff #289 – E3 Follow-up, Sekiro Game Therapy, Game of Thrones Chat, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 05:05:02 +0000

It’s a loose and freewheelin’ show this week, as we recover from the madness (and boredom) of E3 2019 with some additional reactions on reports from the show floor and swap some stories about anime and movies before diving into our main topics, each of which has left one of our two hosts beleaguered. For Jonathan, it’s trying to get into Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, the most recent game by FromSoftware, which is so difficult it’s making him question every life decision he’s ever made; for Sean, it’s finally watching Game of Thrones, and finding the most popular show on the planet a lot less…well, good than its success would have one believe.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:03:59
Stuff: 0:03:59 – 0:32:00
E3 Follow-up: 0:32:00 – 1:21:24
Sekiro Game Therapy: 1:21:24 – 1:58:18
Game of Thrones Chat: 1:58:18 – 2:49:21

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #288 – E3 2019 Analysis Spectacular! Nintendo, Xbox, Ubisoft, Bethesda, Square, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 12 Jun 2019 05:05:11 +0000

It’s that time of year again! E3 2019 is upon us, and as is long-standing custom on this podcast, we break down every major press conference in excruciating detail, from the “throwing s*** at the wall to see what sticks” approach of Microsoft, to the “kill time for an hour until we show off Doom Eternal” approach of Bethesda, to the “we had one cool game to show but we’re spending 90 minutes here anyway” strategy from Ubisoft, to the “totally nail the reveal of Final Fantasy VII Remake but then somehow bungle the unveiling of the Avengers game” vibe of Square Enix, to the “we actually have games to show and they’re coming soon” day-saving sanity of Nintendo. We cover every reveal, every trailer, every disappointment, every excitement, and what few surprises there were, in a very strange, fairly dull, but altogether fascinating E3.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:01
Stuff: 0:04:01 – 0:33:11
Pre-E3 Shows: 0:33:11 – 1:03:00
Microsoft: 1:03:00 – 2:09:40
Bethesda: 2:09:40 – 2:26:20
Ubisoft: 2:26:20 – 2:47:58
Square Enix: 2:47:58 – 3:16:12
Nintendo: 3:16:12 – 3:57:06

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Weekly Suit Gundam #01 - Gundam 0079 Episodes 01-02 & Intro to Mecha Anime

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Jun 2019 15:00:00 +0000

In the 40 years since its 1979 debut in Japan, Mobile Suit Gundam has grown into one of the most pervasive and beloved franchises in anime history – and this summer, we’re taking a look back at the series that started it all, by watching, reviewing, and discussing in depth all 43 episodes of the original Mobile Suit Gundam (aka Gundam 0079). Sean has been a big Gundam fan for years, but Jonathan’s never seen a single episode before, giving us two unique perspectives on the series as we set out on this journey. This week, we go into the history of both Gundam itself and the Mecha genre at large, before diving into the first 2 episodes of the anime, one of the most confident and compelling introductions we’ve ever seen to a TV series. And over the next four parts of this podcast miniseries, we’ll continue through to the end of the series.

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The Weekly Stuff #287 – Godzilla: King of the Monsters, E3 Predictions, Death Stranding, and How Jonathan Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Dark Souls

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Jun 2019 05:01:00 +0000

With E3 2019 on the horizon, we make predictions for all the big shows – Microsoft, Nintendo, Ubisoft, and more – before our full annual coverage next week. With the current generation winding down and Sony sitting this one out, what do we expect from this year’s conferences? We also talk about the latest, craziest trailer for Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding, the reveal of the confusingly-titled Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, and Jonathan’s newfound love for Dark Souls after many years of Sean and our listeners telling him to play it. Finally, we review Godzilla: King of the Monsters, the latest American Kaiju movie, and one of the zanier blockbusters in recent memory.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:18
Stuff, including Dark Souls: 0:02:18 – 0:51:15
News, including Death Stranding: 0:51:15 – 1:13:28
E3 2019 Predictions: 1:13:28 – 2:01:18
Godzilla: King of the Monsters: 2:01:18 – 3:03:02

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #286 – John Wick 3, Game of Thrones Finale, Aladdin, Detective Pikachu, Nioh 2 Alpha, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 May 2019 05:01:00 +0000

What do we talk about this week? What don’t we talk about? We catch up on a trio of movies from the month of May, from the fantastic John Wick Chapter 3: Parabellum, to the depressing live-action Aladdin remake, to the totally okay Detective Pikachu. We also go over the Game of Thrones series finale, and what a muted, unengaged ending it provided. But that’s not all, because we’ve also been playing some video games, like Team Sonic Racing, and the Alpha test for this year’s upcoming Nioh II. Throw in some news about Star Trek, Terminator, Call of Duty, and more, and you’ve got a jam-packed, loopy, and altogether fun podcast that’s bursting at the brim with topics.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:44
Stuff: 0:02:44 – 0:15:05
News: 0:15:05 – 0:58:24
Game Stuff: 0:58:24 – 1:10:25
Team Sonic Racing: 1:10:25 – 1:17:25
Nioh 2 Alpha: 1:17:25 – 1:27:11
Game of Thrones: 1:27:11 – 2:14:51
Aladdin: 2:14:51 – 2:30:48
Detective Pikachu: 2:30:48 – 2:47:35
John Wick 3: 2:47:35 – 3:34:16

Stream The Weekly Stuff Podcast Episode #286

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #285 – Game of Thrones Self Implodes, Batman is Cast, Jonathan Plays Cuphead, and Sean’s Adventures with Armored Trooper VOTOMS

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 19 May 2019 05:01:00 +0000

It’s a fun catch-up kind of episode this week, as we cover some big news from the past two weeks, including the reported casting of Robert Pattinson as Batman, HBO’s Watchmen teaser, Disney’s terrifying decade-long release schedule, Nintendo’s Super Mario Maker 2 Direct, and more! Jonathan talks about his delightful descent into masochism playing Cuphead on Nintendo Switch, and works through his feelings on the last two very bad episodes of Game of Thrones before this week’s series finale. And finally, Sean recaps a wonderfully weird mecha anime from the 80s, Armored Trooper VOTOMS, because it’s just too awesomely strange not to share with the world.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:15
Stuff: 0:08:15 – 0:29:48
Movie News: 0:29:48 – 1:10:52
Video Game News: 1:10:52 – 1:38:54
Cuphead: 1:38:54 – 1:58:41
Game of Thrones: 1:58:41 – 2:27:53
Armored Trooper VOTOMS: 2:27:53 – 3:06:05

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #284 – Game of Thrones is bad, Sonic is terrifying, and Pokemon: The First Movie is pretty good

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 May 2019 05:01:00 +0000

Next week, Detective Pikachu arrives in theatres, sure to become the biggest video game movie of all time. Twenty years ago, Pokemon: The First Movie took the United States by storm in a very different way, arriving at the height of the original Pokemon boom and bringing anime mainstream in the West in a way it had never been before. On this week’s show, we revisit that film – in both its English adaptation and original Japanese form – looking back on Pokemon’s theatrical debut before Hollywood takes the reins next week. We also talk about the abject horror of the Sonic the Hedgehog movie trailer, pay tribute to the great Peter Mayhew, and rant about last week’s very bad episode of Game of Thrones.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:39
Stuff: 0:03:39 – 0:29:40
Game of Thrones Rant: 0:29:40 – 1:02:20
News: 1:02:20 – 1:30:57
Pokemon The First Movie: 1:30:57 – 2:58:02

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #283 – Avengers Endgame Review & Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 29 Apr 2019 05:01:00 +0000

Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame is the biggest movie in the world right now, and we dive deep with this culmination of a series we’ve been discussing on this podcast since the earliest days of our show! It’s an amazing film in so many ways – on its own terms, but also as a cultural experience – and more than worthy of a long, in-depth talk about all the characters, set pieces, and the surprisingly cathartic sense of finality the film builds to in its closing act. Jonathan also talks about his experiences playing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild in Nintendo’s Labo VR, and we go over the reveal of Persona 5 The Royal and Persona 5 Scramble, and why Atlus teased a Switch port for so long only to pull away the football with these announcements.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:40
Zelda in Labo VR: 0:08:40 – 0:27:22
Persona 5 News: 0:27:22 – 0:42:00
Avengers Endgame: 0:42:00 – 3:08:50

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Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #282 – PS5 & Next-Gen Talk, Labo VR, Star Wars News, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Apr 2019 11:00:00 +0000

We catch up on two weeks’ worth of news, from the first trailers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the video game Jedi Fallen Order, to the unveiling of the Disney Plus streaming service, to the confusing reveal of the Xbox One SAD edition. We also talk about the addition of Persona 5’s Joker to Super Smash Bros, and Jonathan gives first impressions of the oddity that is Nintendo’s Labo VR. And for our main topic, we dive in to the first official details of the PlayStation 5, and talk about how the next generation of consoles is shaping up – what’s the strategy, what’s working, and what seems confusing?

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:57
Stuff, including Labo VR: 0:02:57 – 0:40:45
News: 0:40:45 – 1:38:44
PS5 & Next-Gen Talk: 1:38:44 – 2:37:20

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Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #281 – Super Dragon Ball Heroes, Anthem Woes, DBZ 30th Blu-ray, Gaming Controversies & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Apr 2019 05:28:00 +0000

It’s a packed show this week, as we give impressions of Super Dragon Ball Heroes: World Mission, the first English localization of the Japanese card battle sensation, discuss Kotaku’s bombshell report on the troubled development of Bioware’s Anthem, break down all the problems with Funimation’s dubious new Dragon Ball Z 30th Anniversary Blu-ray set, and weigh in on the very stupid controversies currently miring the video game discourse – namely, whether games like Sekiro should have difficulty options, and what effect the Epic Games Store is having on the PC market. We also reach peak bafflement in our ongoing confusion over the existence and content of the musical Cats, go over some strange Nintendo rumors, and much more.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:31
Stuff: 0:05:31 – 0:19:00
Dragon Ball Heroes: 0:19:00 – 0:50:53
Anthem News: 0:50:53 – 1:26:17
Other News: 1:26:17 – 2:00:01
Dragon Ball News: 2:00:01 – 2:28:12
Video Game Controversies: 2:28:12 – 3:12:30

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Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #280 – Yoshi’s Crafted World & Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice Reviews

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 Apr 2019 11:00:00 +0000

This week, we review Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice and Yoshi’s Crafted World, two games that couldn’t seem more different, but weirdly wind up teaching a lot of the same lessons in how to create a quality video game. Before that, we also kick back and talk about some Stuff – like Jonathan’s first time playing the cult classic Castlevania: Rondo of Blood, or trying to explain the plot of Season 3 of The Flash to Sean – and hit some recent news items, like the passing of the great Agnes Varda, rumors about Nintendo’s new Switch hardware offerings, and the single strangest streaming video announcement we’ve ever heard (that last one, from 1:26:25 to 1:35:21, is one you definitely won’t want to miss).

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:32
Stuff: 0:10:32 – 0:55:55
News: 0:55:55 – 1:35:21
Yoshi & Sekiro: 1:35:21 – 2:34:30

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #279 – Reviewing Us, Shazam!, Sekiro, and Talking Google’s Stadia & Disney/Fox Merger

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Mar 2019 05:11:00 +0000

It’s a jam-packed episode, as we dive deep with Jordan Peele’s incredible new horror film, Us, Jonathan gives some early thoughts from a pre-screening of DC’s Shazam!, Sean shares initial impressions of FromSoftware’s Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, and so much more! Sean also talks about playing the first three Devil May Cry days on some Colorado snow days, Jonathan reviews the documentary Apollo 11, and we cover a bevy of news, including Google’s new Project Stadia streaming platform and the realization of the Disney’s Fox acquisition. Throw in some listener mail and a gush-session over the new John Wick 3 trailer, and you’ve got one of the most fun episodes we’ve recorded this year.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:00
Shazam: 0:07:00 – 0:19:41
Sekiro: 0:19:41 – 0:30:20
Apollo 11: 0:30:20 – 0:34:36
Devil May Cry: 0:34:36 – 0:56:08
News: 0:56:08 – 1:54:48
Listener Mail: 1:54:48 – 2:12:54
Us Review: 2:12:54 – 3:18:35

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #278 – Captain Marvel Review, Sonic’s New Look, Labo VR & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Mar 2019 11:01:00 +0000

This week saw the much anticipated release of Captain Marvel, the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the first to feature a female lead. It’s a very fun film that opens lots of exciting new doors for Marvel, and we spend a good chunk of time reviewing and breaking it down in full spoiler detail. Before that, Jonathan talks about catching up on Supergirl and the latest DC crossover special on the CW, and we go over some strange news, such as Sonic the Hedgehog’s horrifying new live-action look, Nintendo’s very bizarre Labo VR announcement, Xbox potentially planning a disc-free console, and more.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:23
Stuff: 0:06:23 – 0:23:14
News: 0:23:14 – 0:55:35
Captain Marvel Review: 0:55:35 – 2:08:04

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Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #277 – Revisiting The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Mar 2019 12:00:00 +0000

This week, by popular demand (and because we really wanted to do it), we finally begin our trip down Middle Earth Memory Lane, with our in-depth retrospective discussion of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring. So much has changed since this film’s release in 2001, its unlikely success helping to transform Tolkien’s work from a literary classic to one of the most dominant transnational brands on the planet. We try to strip all that back to look at the film itself, discussing our memories of seeing it for the first time, what it meant to us then, what it means to us now, and why this is one of the most significant films we’ll ever cover on this podcast. Sean also shares his thoughts on Apex Legends, Jonathan talks about bad players ruining his Destiny 2 fun, and we cover a spate of recent Nintendo news, including the retirement of Reggie Fils-Aime and the announcement of Pokemon Sword & Shield.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:41
Stuff, including Apex Legends & Destiny 2: 0:06:41 – 0:29:54
News: 0:29:54 – 1:04:05
Lord of the Rings: 1:04:05 – 3:53:01

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Bonus - 91st Academy Awards Reactions from Jonathan Lack

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 05:46:00 +0000

Sean couldn’t record this week, so instead, Jonathan watched and live-tweeted the 91st Academy Awards, following it up with a solo podcast discussing overall reactions to the show, the winners, and what we should take away from a night that had a horrible ending – Green Book, aka 2 Driving 2 Daisy, winning Best Picture – but a lot of things worth celebrating along the way. Jonathan delivers a monologue about the good and the bad of this year’s Oscars, and what lessons we might learn from them, before going category by category to discuss the winners, losers, and where his predictions diverted from the final results.

Enjoy!

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #276 – Kingdom Hearts III, Nintendo Direct, Oscar Shenanigans, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Feb 2019 06:01:00 +0000

This week saw Nintendo’s first Direct in months, featuring announcements ranging from Super Mario Maker 2 to a Link’s Awakening remake, plus more details on Fire Emblem: Three Houses and a cavalcade of surprise eShop releases. We talk about all of that and more, go over the latest in a seemingly endless stream of Academy Award dumpster fires, share our horror over Will Smith’s uncanny valley Genie in Aladdin, talk more Destiny 2, and Jonathan relates his experience buying Starlink: Battle for Atlas on the cheap. Then, we’re joined by special guest Thomas Lack, a lifelong Kingdom Hearts fan, to tell us about his experience with Kingdom Hearts III, and whether the game lived up to its decade-plus of expectations.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:14:00
Stuff: 0:14:00 – 0:37:54
News & Nintendo Direct: 0:37:54 – 1:45:20
Kingdom Hearts III: 1:45:20 – 2:40:05

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #275 – Anthem Demo, Dragon Ball FighterZ DLC, News and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Feb 2019 06:04:00 +0000

This week, we got our first hands-on look at Bioware’s Anthem, and the results were…not pretty. We break down all the ways this uninspired Destiny clone has us worried after a few hours with the public demo, while also talking about Destiny itself and the Forsaken expansion we’ve both recently caught up with. We gush over the new combatants introduced to Dragon Ball FighterZ, Jiren and Videl, while expressing both excitement and horror about Piranha Plant’s debut in Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. A big chunk of news, including the latest moves out of DC’s film universe and some striking Nintendo sales data, rounds out the episode.

Time Chart:
Intro and Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:17:33
News: 0:17:33 – 1:12:35
Piranha Plant Smash: 1:12:35 – 1:16:16
Dragon Ball FighterZ Jiren/Videl: 1:16:16 – 1:39:56
Destiny 2 Forsaken: 1:39:56 – 1:53:05
Anthem Demo: 1:53:05 – 2:44:21

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Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #274 – 2019 Year-in-Preview Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 28 Jan 2019 13:00:00 +0000

This week, we look ahead to the year that is now upon us, 2019, and preview all the upcoming films and video games we know about that are either exciting, baffling, dread-inducing, or a mixture of all three. We also make a competitive draft of which seemingly far-off video games are most likely to actually see the light of day in 2019, while Jonathan predicts just what obscene amounts of money Disney will make on their cavalcade of remakes and sequels this year. We also discuss this week’s big Metroid Prime news, talk more Destiny 2 and Dragon Quest, and answer some listener mail about the upcoming year.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:50
Stuff: 0:01:50 – 0:40:21
News: 0:40:21 – 1:00:45
Listener Mail: 1:00:45 – 1:16:53
2019 Movie Preview: 1:16:53 – 2:04:40
2019 Video Game Preview: 2:04:40 – 3:03:45

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Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

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Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #273 – Dragon Ball Super: Broly Review, Bungie/Activision Split, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 21 Jan 2019 13:00:00 +0000

Dragon Ball Super is in theatres and dominating the box-office, and we are absolutely in love with Broly, an amazing film that represents an amazing milestone in the history of this beloved series. We break down the movie in full detail, discussing its bold new animation style and action sequences, surprisingly rich narrative and themes, and how it rehabilitates one of the series’ most one-dimensional characters into a complicated figure we can’t wait to see more of. Jonathan also recounts his adventures binging through the Dragon Quest games, Sean talks about diving back in to Destiny 2 and its Forsaken expansion, and we discuss the huge news of Destiny developer Bungie and publisher Activision parting ways.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:48
Dragon Quest: 0:10:48 – 0:27:58
Destiny 2: 0:27:58 – 0:46:52
News: 0:46:52 – 1:38:10
Dragon Ball Super: Broly Review: 1:38:10 – 3:47:06

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #272 – Dragon Ball Z Broly Trilogy Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 Jan 2019 06:01:00 +0000

With Dragon Ball Super: Broly arriving in American theatres this week, we look back on the original three Broly films from the initial run of Dragon Ball Z films (DBZ Movies 8, 10, and 11). The original Dragon Ball movies are a strange beast to begin with – they can be a lot of fun for fans, but they’re also heavily formulaic and mostly plotless – but the Broly films are the strangest of all, creating an infamous antagonist and leaving a huge mark on the franchise without being particularly good. Broly himself doesn’t even feel like that much of a Dragon Ball character, and because of him, these movies tend to lack a lot of what makes the series so enjoyable. We talk about all of that and much more, while also discussing why, despite our antipathy to Broly up to now, we’re so excited for the new film – which we’ll be reviewing in depth next week!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #271 – Dragon Ball Super Retrospective & Doctor Who New Year Special

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 7 Jan 2019 06:01:00 +0000

We kick off a new year of podcasting by finally dedicating an episode to one of our favorite franchises of all time: Akira Toriyama’s Dragon Ball! With the new film Dragon Ball Super: Broly hitting theatres later this month, we take a look back at the most recent TV series, discussing why it worked so well where other attempts to extend the story beyond the manga have not, and discussing each of the major arcs in detail. We also review the Doctor Who New Year’s Day special, “Resolution,” and come away feeling very glad we don’t have to talk about Chris Chibnall’s abysmal take on the series for at least another year. Jonathan also reviews the surprisingly enjoyable Aquaman and we look forward to the movies and games we’re most excited for in 2019.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:45
Doctor Who New Year’s Special: 0:10:45 – 0:47:11
Aquaman Review: 0:47:11 – 1:05:54
Dragon Ball Super Retrospective: 1:05:54 – 3:28:55

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #270 – The Top 10 Video Games of 2018

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 31 Dec 2018 06:01:00 +0000

In our final episode of 2018, we reflect on another amazing year in gaming with countdowns of our Top 10 Video Games of the Year. This was a rich, varied, and incredibly surprising year for video games, with some expected hits and out-of-left-field delights making both of our lists. There’s more crossover this time between our two countdowns than in recent years, but also some big points of departure, which makes for a really great conversation as we reminisce upon the year’s great games. 2018 has been the biggest year for our podcast ever, in more ways than one, and we’re so grateful to have had all of you along for the ride! Enjoy the show, and we’ll see you in 2019!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #269 – A Very Weekly Stuff Christmas Special

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 24 Dec 2018 06:01:00 +0000

Since Monday fell on Christmas Eve this year, we thought we’d put together a special Holiday-themed episode this week, complete with gift-giving, Jonathan’s impromptu list of the best (and worst) Christmas movies, a shared rant about people who care too much about Die Hard being a Christmas movie, and more! We also chat a bit more about Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Hitman 2, before arriving at our main holiday topic: A live reaction/review of the worst Christmas album ever recorded. I won’t spoil the album’s identity here, but suffice to say, it makes for one of the silliest and most entertaining segments we’ve ever recorded.

Enjoy, and happy holidays to all!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #268 – Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Dec 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Spider-Man’s incredible year continued this week with the release of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, the web-head’s first animated movie and the first to star Miles Morales. It’s also one of the best superhero movies ever made, not to mention maybe the single most innovative and imaginative use of CGI animation since Toy Story pioneered the format in 1995. This is a truly special movie, one with tons of heart, a lot of laughs, and a big dose of eye candy, and we dive deep with all of it. Jonathan also talks about his continued enjoyment of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch, Sean reviews more of Hitman 2, and we answer some listener mail to round out a really fun episode of the podcast.

Enjoy!

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The Weekly Stuff #267 – Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Impressions, Game Awards News, and Doctor Who Series 11 Finale Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 11:59:00 +0000

It’s another packed episode this week, as we give impressions on one of the year’s biggest game releases and dive into the depths of depression with the worst Doctor Who season ever. But before that, Sean and Jonathan go over all the news out of this week’s Game Awards event – including the most surprising DLC announcement in years – and give continuing thoughts on a variety of recent games, including Hitman 2 and the Persona 3 and Persona 5 dancing games, now available in English. Jonathan gives impressions of the amazing Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch, and we then commiserate over the miserable experience that was the Doctor Who Series 11 finale. We talk about where the episode and the season went wrong, but also go deeper with the season’s treatment of diversity, arguing that a season that appeared progressive on the surface wound up being politically regressive in a number of ways, betraying the character of the Doctor and wasting an opportunity to meaningfully evolve the status quo. It’s one of the most in-depth discussions we’ve had about any topic in the history of the podcast, and we hope you’ll give it a listen.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:41
Stuff: 0:03:41 – 0:18:21
Avengers Trailer & Game Awards News: 0:18:21 – 1:01:36
Assorted Games (Hitman, Persona Dancing, and more): 1:01:36 – 1:31:10
Super Smash Bros. Ultimate Impressions: 1:31:10 – 2:01:20
Doctor Who Discussion: 2:01:20 – 3:34:46

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

Clip from Episode 267 - Doctor Who Series 11, Gender, and Political Regression

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Dec 2018 06:05:00 +0000

This is a clip from this week's full podcast, in which we covered a lot of topics, including this season of Doctor Who and its many creative failings. I wanted to clip out one part of that discussion and share it separately, however, because I think it's the most important part of our comments, and I think it speaks to something few critics are genuinely trying to grapple with this season: Have Chris Chibnall and the Doctor Who creative team done right by the character and the responsibilities of representation in their push for greater on-screen diversity this year? As Sean and I argue here, the politics of this season are actually shocking regressive and pro-status quo, and in creating the first female Doctor, Chibnall's writing has reduced the character to a shallow series of heavily gendered 'quirks,' with the most important character in the season, the character through whom all of the major themes flow, being the one middle-aged white guy on screen. It's a nuanced, complicated discussion, but I wanted people to hear this section if they hear nothing else, so it's excerpted here for that purpose. Enjoy.

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The Weekly Stuff #266 – Red Dead 2 Spoiler Discussion, Hitman 2, Dragon Ball, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Dec 2018 06:13:00 +0000

On this week’s wide-ranging episode, we come back from Thanksgiving break to discuss two weeks’ worth of news, including the announcement that Neon Genesis Evangelion is headed to Netflix, while more Marvel shows like Daredevil most certainly are not, before giving continued impressions on a bunch of recent video games like Hitman 2. Jonathan talks about finally nearing the finish line in Dragon Ball Super, and finally discovering what insanely cool thing Goku did in Episode 116 that Sean lost his mind over this time last year. And for our main topic, we dive deep with the story of Red Dead Redemption 2, in full spoiler detail, now that we have both finished this very long, and very good, video game.

Time Chart:

Intro/Doctor Who Chat: 0:00:00 – 0:12:17
Picking our next rewatch project: 0:12:17 – 0:22:23
Dragon Ball Super Chat: 0:22:23 – 0:38:02
News: 0:38:02 – 1:10:36
Dragon Ball FighterZ and Pokemon Let’s Go: 1:10:36 – 1:30:33
Hitman 2: 1:30:33 – 1:55:20
Red Dead Redemption 2: 1:55:20 – 3:03:35

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The Weekly Stuff #265 – Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age Spoiler Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Nov 2018 12:00:00 +0000

In this pre-recorded post-Thanksgiving episode, we finally sit down to talk about one of our favorite games of the year, Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age. After 100 hours apiece and many happy memories, we have both completed this epic JRPG experience, and have a lot to say about what is easily one of the genre’s greatest accomplishments. We’ve talked about the game without spoilers a few times before, but for this episode, we go into full spoiler detail about the game’s story, characters, and world. And if you’re not into Dragon Quest, we also review the wonderful Creed II and discuss Kotaku’s recent in-depth report about Blizzard, the development of Diablo IV, and the creation of Diablo Immortal.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:07
Creed II and Green Book Reviews: 0:04:07 – 0:23:22
Kotaku report on Blizzard and Diablo: 0:23:22 – 0:40:00
Dragon Quest XI Spoiler Discussion: 0:40:00 – 2:16:41

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The Weekly Stuff #264 – Stan Lee, Fantastic Beasts, Pokemon Let’s Go, Hitman 2, and Doctor Who S11E07

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Nov 2018 07:36:00 +0000

In one of the single busiest episodes we’ve ever recorded, we pay tribute to the amazing life of Stan Lee, the face and voice of Marvel comics and one of the most dominant figures in modern pop culture, review Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald, give first impressions of Hitman 2 and Pokemon Let’s Go, go over several pieces of news including Sony’s decision to skip E3 2019, and review the latest episode of Doctor Who, “Kerblam,” which may well be the worst – or, at the very least, most morally and thematically bankrupt – episode in the 55-year history of the series. It’s 4 jam-packed hours of content for your Thanksgiving week travels, time spent cooking, or if you just need to get away from your family and listen to us yell about British mass media.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:42
Stuff: 0:03:42 – 0:24:08
Fantastic Beasts – The Crimes of Grindelwald: 0:24:08 – 0:56:42
News: 0:56:42 – 1:38:00
Remembering Stan Lee: 1:38:00 – 2:23:30
Video Games Round-up (Mario Party, Pokemon, Hitman 2): 2:23:30 – 3:12:39
Doctor Who S11E07: 3:12:39 – 3:59:40

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The Weekly Stuff #263 – Tetris Effect, Red Dead 2, and Doctor Who S11E06

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Nov 2018 13:00:00 +0000

It’s another grab-bag style week, as Sean and Jonathan give updates on their progress in Red Dead Redemption 2, Jonathan reviews the outstanding Tetris Effect for PS4, and we go over some recent weird news about Final Fantasy XV. Jonathan tells the story of his nearly-doomed trip to Illinois to see a concert, and Sean gives us a mini-lecture on the (surprisingly gay) delights of Herman Melville’s Moby Dick. And finally, we at last have a good episode of Doctor Who to talk about this season, as Vinay Patel’s “Demons of the Punjab” proved to be the first 13th Doctor outing with a strong story and solid character work, with a fascinating historical and cultural perspective to boot.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:52
Stuff: 0:01:52 – 0:17:37
Tetris Effect: 0:17:37 – 0:30:10
Red Dead Redemption 2 Chat: 0:30:10 – 0:52:06
News: 0:52:06 – 1:07:42
Doctor Who S11E06: 1:07:42 – 1:57:36

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The Weekly Stuff #262 – Final Smash Bros Direct, Red Dead 2, and Doctor Who S11E05

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Nov 2018 06:19:00 +0000

This week brought us another disappointing episode of Doctor Who, a lot more time with Rockstar’s Red Dead Redemption II, and the final Nintendo Direct for next month’s Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. We talk about all of this and more, going through all the announcements from Masahiro Sakurai in Nintendo’s event, continuing to be depressed about Chris Chibnall’s Doctor Who writing, and discussing how wildly different our experiences with the vast, weird world of Red Dead Redemption II have been (once again without spoilers, as neither of us has finished the story). Sean also reviews the first DLC for Marvel’s Spider-Man on PS4, Jonathan reviews Luca Gudagnino’s Suspiria, and we encourage all our American listeners to go vote in tomorrow’s elections, because it is our civic duty, even if we’re hosting a silly niche podcast.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:18
Stuff: 0:09:18 – 0:29:02
News: 0:29:02 – 0:43:32
Final Smash Bros Direct: 0:43:32 – 1:18:17
Red Dead Redemption 2 Spoiler-Free Talk: 1:18:17 – 2:13:20
Doctor Who S11E05: 2:13:20 – 3:13:11

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The Weekly Stuff #261 – Red Dead Redemption 2 Impressions & Doctor Who S11E04

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 29 Oct 2018 11:00:00 +0000

The biggest game of 2018 has arrived in Rockstar’s long-awaited Red Dead Redemption 2, and after a solid weekend of play, we give our initial, spoiler-free impressions of this massive, wildly ambitious sequel. It’s an amazing game so far, almost mind-bogglingly vast in scope yet surprisingly intimate in tone and story. We break down what we’ve seen so far, while also grappling with the latest news about Rockstar’s problematic culture of crunch during development. And after that, we review this week’s Doctor Who, “Arachnids in the UK,” the fourth disappointing episode in a row from the new creative team, and one that continues to leave us disappointed at how the show is squandering its excellent cast in stories lacking even baseline narrative or thematic competency. We also go over the shuttering of Filmstruck, the streaming service that has been the online home of The Criterion Collection, while Sean reviews Netflix’s The Haunting of Hill House and Jonathan continues his adventures catching up on Dragon Ball Super.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:49
Stuff: 0:02:49 – 0:32:21
News: 0:32:21 – 0:41:13
Red Dead Redemption 2: 0:41:13 – 2:11:35
Doctor Who S11E04: 2:11:35 – 3:12:29

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The Weekly Stuff #260 – Red Dead Controversies, Dragon Ball Talk, and Doctor Who S11E03

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 05:23:00 +0000

It’s a calm before the storm kind of week, as we prepare for the biggest video game of the year next week in Red Dead Redemption 2, which is galloping into stores upon a trail of controversy after comments about Rockstar’s working conditions in an interview last week. We break down all that news, discuss Netflix’s move to start cancelling their Marvel shows, and do a good bit of Dragon Ball talk – including Jonathan ranking the Top 10 Characters he wants to see in the next round of DLC for Dragon Ball FighterZ – before diving into this week’s problematic Doctor Who, “Rosa.” It’s an episode that means well, but handles its heavy subject matter in some troublingly tone-deaf ways.

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:20:15
Dragon Ball Chat: 0:20:15 – 0:41:54
Marvel Netflix News: 0:41:54 – 0:56:28
Red Dead Controversies: 0:56:28 – 1:17:20
Doctor Who S11E03: 1:17:20 – 2:34:33

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The Weekly Stuff #259 – Doctor Who S11E02, Dragon Quest, First Man, and Microtransactions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 15 Oct 2018 11:00:00 +0000

Doctor Who continues its new season this week with “The Ghost Monument,” an episode that improves on the premiere, but also reveals some real limitations in Chris Chibnall’s writing style. We discuss the episode in depth, including the new opening credits, TARDIS design, and more. But before that, we also chat more about Dragon Quest XI, Jonathan reviews Damien Chazelle’s First Man and talks about finally getting to the good stuff in Dragon Ball Super, and we go over the last week’s worth of news, including PSN finally allowing users to change their name, Microsoft potentially purchasing developer Obsidian, and the latest kerfuffle surrounding microtransactions in video games.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:12
Dragon Quest XI: 0:03:12 – 0:15:34
First Man: 0:15:34 – 0:22:18
Dragon Ball Super: 0:22:18 – 0:34:45
News: 0:34:45 – 1:18:45
Doctor Who S11E02: 1:18:45 – 2:25:54

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #258 – Doctor Who Series 11 Premiere Review & Discussion!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Oct 2018 05:26:00 +0000

Our favorite TV show is back, as Doctor Who returns for its 11th modern season (37th overall!), with a new Doctor in Jodie Whittaker, a new showrunner in Chris Chibnall, plus new companions, a new composer, and an entirely new look. The entire show has effectively regenerated, and the first episode, “The Woman Who Fell to Earth,” in a promising if imperfect start. We give it the usual in-depth treatment we always employ for Doctor Who, along with an update on our progress in Dragon Quest XI, first impressions of Forza Horizon 4, and a bevy of recent video game and film news, from continued developments out of the Telltale Games fiasco to new trailers for Dark Phoenix and Dragon Ball Super: Broly.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:21
Stuff: 0:05:21 – 0:23:00
News: 0:23:00 – 1:15:22
Doctor Who – “The Woman Who Fell to Earth”: 1:15:22 – 2:43:34

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #257 – News Galore! Telltale Games, Tokyo Game Show, PlayStation Classic, and Dragon Quest XI

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 24 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

We really live up to the podcast’s name this week, covering a wide assortment of stuff, including a large grab bag of video game, TV, and movie news from the past week. From the sudden closure of Telltale Games to trailers and announcements from the Tokyo Game Show to the launch of Nintendo’s online service to Sony’s surprise unveiling of the PlayStation Classic, this week brought a lot of surprising news to parse through. Sean also recommends some Spider-Man comics from the 1980s, Jonathan reviews Paul Feig’s A Simple Favor, and we give some more spoiler-free impressions of Dragon Quest XI, now that Sean has also had some time with this truly amazing game.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:07
Stuff: 0:02:07 – 0:21:05
Dragon Quest XI Chat: 0:21:05 – 0:56:41
Telltale Games Closes: 0:56:41 – 1:17:07
Tokyo Game Show News: 1:17:07 – 1:41:17
Movie News: 1:41:17 – 1:55:50
Video Game News: 1:55:50 – 2:33:07
Listener Mail: 2:33:07 – 3:03:01

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #256 – Spider-Man PS4 Review & Nintendo Direct

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

This week, we dive deep with one of the best video games of the year: Insomniac’s Spider-Man for PS4. We break down the story, the gameplay, the open world, the characters, and much more, building on our spoiler-free discussion from last week to explore what makes this a new standard-bearer for the superhero genre in video games. This discussion has spoilers aplenty, but we give fair warning before those begin. We also go through all the news from this week’s Nintendo Direct, including a brilliant Animal Crossing troll, talk a little more Dragon Quest XI, and more!

Time Chart:
Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:11:20
Nintendo Direct Breakdown: 0:11:20 – 1:08:52
Spider-Man PS4 Review: 1:08:52 – 3:00:46

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #255 – Revisiting Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 12 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

As a special bonus episode this week, we wrap up our recent retrospective journey through Sam Raimi’s original Spider-Man films with our in-depth discussion of the controversial Spider-Man 3. Though a record-breaking commercial hit, the film was widely considered a creative disappointment upon release, and its reputation has only soured more and more in the decade since. Is that reputation fully deserved? The answer is complicated, because while Spider-Man 3 almost certainly isn’t a ‘good’ movie, it’s hard to entirely dismiss it as a mere ‘bad’ one as well. Working through the film’s many problems but also its surprising pleasures makes for perhaps our most fun and engaging discussion of the series yet, and wraps up a rewarding trek back through these classic superhero films.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #254 – Spider-Man PS4 & Dragon Quest XI First Impressions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Sep 2018 13:01:00 +0000

It was an amazing week for video games, as Marvel’s Spider-Man and Dragon Quest XI: Echoes of an Elusive Age both launched on the PS4, and after spending an unhealthy amount of time playing as much of them as possible, we’ve got spoiler-free impressions of both. Jonathan gives his thoughts on the early hours of Dragon Quest, Sean sings some more praise for Yakuza Kiwami 2, and we both gush over the incredible achievement that is Insomniac’s Spider-Man game. It may be the best use of a licensed character in a major video game to date, a consistently surprising, endlessly engrossing experience that goes above and beyond being the Spider-Man game of our childhood dreams. We’ll have a full spoiler-filled review next week, but we keep things spoiler-free this time, so feel free to listen whether or not you’ve touched the game yet.

Enjoy, and come back Wednesday for a special mid-week bonus podcust with our retrospective review of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:36
News: 0:08:36 – 0:19:36
Yakuza Kiwami 2: 0:19:36 – 0:28:37
Video Game Cover Art Is Weird Now: 0:28:37 – 0:36:14
Dragon Quest XI - Echoes of an Elusive Age: 0:36:14 – 1:02:44
Marvel’s Spider-Man: 1:02:44 – 2:02:51

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #253 – Revisiting Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, Yakuza Kiwami 2 Impressions, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Sep 2018 13:00:00 +0000

After years of incessantly mentioning this movie in top 10 lists and while reviewing other superhero films, it is finally time for a full, in-depth retrospective of Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2, the greatest superhero movie of all time. As we did last week with our look back at the original Raimi film, we’re preparing for the launch of Insomniac’s PS4 Spider-Man by revisiting some of our favorite Spider-Man media ever, and Spider-Man media doesn’t get any better than Raimi’s 2004 sequel, one of the truly great works of commercial art this century and a standard-bearer for all other comic-book adaptations. We give it our customary in-depth treatment, but we also cover a few other topics this week – including Sean’s impressions of Yakuza Kiwami 2 for the PS4, a few pieces of news including Xbox’s new ‘All Access’ program, and our shared joy at discovering an old Spider-Man concept album from 1975 – in this jam-packed, webhead-heavy episode.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:00
Stuff, including Yakuza Kiwami 2 Impressions: 0:04:00 – 0:48:54
News: 0:48:54 – 0:59:43
Revisiting Spider-Man 2: 0:59:43 – 3:23:45

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #252 – Revisiting Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man, News Catch-Up, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000

With Insomniac’s highly-anticipated Spider-Man game swinging onto the PS4 next month, we thought now would be the perfect time to revisit some of our favorite superhero films of all time: Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man trilogy from the early 2000s, starting this week with the original Spider-Man from 2002. In many ways, this film is the template for the superhero boom we’re living in right now, so thoroughly did Raimi embrace the character’s comic-book origins, but the film is also a product of a different time, and while it’s become fashionable to dismiss Raimi’s films as ‘outdated,’ we would argue that the first two, at least, deserve serious consideration amongst any discussion of the best films the genre has to offer. It’s a great, in-depth conversation on a film worthy of reconsideration, and before that, we also catch-up on a month’s worth of news, Jonathan’s recent move to Iowa and first encounter with Shenmue, Sean’s continuing Monster Hunter adventures, and more.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:55
Stuff: 0:08:55 – 0:31:30
News: 0:31:30 – 1:04:10
Revisiting Spider-Man: 1:04:10 – 3:07:29

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #251 – Our Top 10 Favorite Games of All Time, Part 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 20 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Last week, on our special 250th podcast, we began counting down our Top 10 Favorite Games of All Time. We did this once before, way back in 2013, but with 5 years and the better part of an entire console generation having passed, we thought now would be a great time to revisit this topics and remake our personal video game canons. We covered #10 through #6 on each of our lists last week, and this week, we finish the countdown with #5 through #1. It’s a great conversation, filled with more than a few surprises, as we talk about our very favorite games of all time.

Thanks for listening to 250 episodes of The Weekly Stuff Podcast, and we hope you enjoy!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #250 – Our Top 10 Favorite Games of All Time, Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 13 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000

250 is a big number. It’s a lot of episodes. It represents somewhere in the vicinity of 750 hours of podcast recording, better known as one full month’s worth of time. And for the occasion, we are revisiting one of our oldest topics: Our Top 10 Favorite Games of All Time. We originally did this topic for episodes 55, 56, and 57 of the podcast, back in 2013, before the launch of the PS4 and one of the most rewarding periods in video game history. Five years later, Sean and Jonathan have completely remade their lists, keeping some favorites, throwing others away, and welcoming in a lot of newcomers, old and new. We’re splitting this discussion into two parts, with this week’s episode covering the bottom half of our lists – #10 through #6 – while next week’s show will cover #5 through #1. These were fun, challenging lists to put together, and made for one of our most engaging discussions ever, as we talk through the games that best encapsulate our personal canons.

Enjoy, and come back next week for Part 2!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #249 – The Last of Us 5-Year Anniversary Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 Aug 2018 13:00:00 +0000

2018 marks the 5-year anniversary of Naughty Dog’s masterpiece The Last of Us, and with Part II on the horizon and having made a big splash at E3 this summer, we thought now was the perfect time to look back on the game that closed out the previous console generation, but in many ways presaged the major creative trends of this one. Alongside guest Thomas Lack, Sean and Jonathan go in depth reevaluating the game after a recent re-play, considering how it has aged, where it transcends its time and technology, and how its gameplay systems don’t just complement the masterful storytelling, but enhance it every step of the way.

Enjoy!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #248 – Mission: Impossible – Fallout Review & Series Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

We dive deep into one of Hollywood’s best and most interesting modern franchises this week with the Mission: Impossible series. The latest in the Tom Cruise action series, Christopher McQuarrie’s Fallout, is out this week, and we gush enthusiastically over its greatness at length. But as Sean recently went through the first five films for the first time, we also talk about those as well, setting the context for a series that has been around for over two decades and still has enough gas in the tank to deliver its best film on its sixth time out. Jonathan also talks about discovering the incredible work of Chinese director King Hu, Sean tells us about a Spider-Man concept album, and we lament over corporate consolidation in discussing the Disney/Fox merger that was approved earlier this week.

Time Chart
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:58
Stuff: 0:04:58 – 0:40:55
Disney & Fox Merger News: 0:40:55 – 0:56:04
Mission: Impossible Retrospective: 0:56:04 – 1:51:23
Mission: Impossible – Fallout Review: 1:51:23 – 2:56:53

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #247 – Comic-Con News, James Gunn, Octopath Traveler & Sean’s Comic Adventures

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 23 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

What looked like it might have been a quiet week for the podcast turned out to be a very busy one, as a surprisingly eventful Comic-Con brought big news and reveals for Doctor Who, Star Wars, Harry Potter, and the wildly schizophrenic state of DC’s film and TV slate, ranging from the awesomeness of getting Batman The Animated Series on Blu-ray to the unintentional hilarity of the awful Titans trailer. We cover all of that in more, and also dive into the very complicated news about Disney’s firing of Guardians of the Galaxy director James Gunn. Sean and Jonathan also talk about Sean’s journey through the Mission: Impossible series ahead of next week’s Fallout, Jonathan continues his review of Octopath Traveler, and Sean regales us with tales of his recent adventures trying to read Spider-Man comic books.

Time Chart
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:04
Stuff, including Mission Impossible Talk: 0:04:04 – 0:28:00
Assorted News: 0:28:00 – 0:40:57
Comic-Con News: 0:40:57 – 1:48:13
James Gunn News: 1:48:13 – 2:10:27
Sean’s Comic-Book Adventures: 2:10:27 – 2:40:11
Jonathan on Octopath Traveler: 2:40:11 – 3:09:26

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #246 – Octopath Traveler Impressions & Revisiting Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

This week, one of our biggest projects of 2018 comes to a close as we complete our journey through the original six Star Wars films with Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Easily among the most iconic pieces of mainstream Hollywood blockbuster history, Return of the Jedi is a fascinating experience to watch and discuss in this context, as it represents some of the best and some of the worst Star Wars has to offer, in perhaps the most complicated package we’ve yet broken down in this series. We give it our usual in-depth breakdown, and offer some final thoughts on our entire Star Wars re-watch project. Before that, Sean and I also break down a few pieces of news – including the recent Doctor Who teaser and the reveal of the new Dragon Ball Super: Broly film – while I give initial impressions of Octopath Traveler for the Nintendo Switch and Sean talks about reading an amazing mid-2000s Spider-Man comics run. It’s a jam-packed podcast, and one of my personal favorites of the year.

Enjoy!

Time Chart
Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:15:25
News, including Dragon Ball: Broly Talk: 0:15:25 – 0:44:15
Sean talks Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane: 0:44:15 – 0:58:20
Jonathan’s Octopath Traveler Impressions: 0:58:20 – 1:31:56
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi: 1:31:56 - 3:49:24

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #245 – Ant-Man & The Wasp Review, Persona Dancing Talk, and Remembering Steve Ditko & Harlan Ellison

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Marvel’s third film of the year arrived this week with Ant-Man & The Wasp, an imperfect and slight film that is nevertheless an absurd amount of fun. We give it our traditional in-depth treatment, but before that, Sean pays homage to two recently deceased creative giants who have had a big influence on him – Spider-Man creator and renowned comics artist Steve Ditko, and science-fiction giant Harlan Ellison – and Jonathan’s brother Thomas joins us for another discussion about Persona 3 Dancing and Persona 5 Dancing, as he’s gone and nabbed all the high scores in those games to go along with his obsessive high scores from Persona 4 Dancing.

Oh, and during the Persona talk, Sean also expressed his desire to see the game’s remix of “Burn My Dread” laid over footage of classic-style Sonic the Hedgehog, and I obliged on the fly. It works amazingly well. https://youtu.be/-Y6G8Hj7VMI

Enjoy!

Time Chart
Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:12:27
Remembering Steve Ditko & Harlan Ellison: 0:12:27 – 0:29:44
Persona Dancing Talk: 0:29:44 – 1:04:35
Ant-Man & The Wasp Review: 1:04:35 – 1:57:48

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #244 – Grab-bag! News round-up, Mario Tennis Aces, Dragon Ball Legends, Donkey Kong Rabbids, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 2 Jul 2018 13:00:00 +0000

It’s a good-old fashioned grab-bag this week, as we cover a week’s worth of news – including Doctor Who getting a new composer, Halo coming to TV, and Sony’s continued refusal to play nice with others – and discuss the strange grab-bag of old and new games we’ve been diving into to escape the dumpster fire that is America in 2018. We’ve both been replaying The Last of Us, and find ourselves more impressed by it than ever, while Jonathan has been playing Mario Tennis Aces and the Donkey Kong Adventure expansion for Mario + Rabbids. Sean talks the new Dragon Ball mobile game, and offers a surprise impromptu review of a game from several years ago he’s been playing on a whim. And at the end, we call an audible and vent for 15 minutes about the horrible month in politics. You have our full blessing to skip it if you want, but if you’d like to vent alongside us, this is your chance.

Time Chart

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:52
News Round-up: 0:02:52 – 1:14:50
Sean’s Surprising Video Game Review: 1:14:50 – 1:26:37
The Last of Us Talk: 1:26:37 – 1:47:20
Mario + Rabbids - Donkey Kong Adventure: 1:47:20 – 1:59:29
Dragon Ball Legends: 1:59:29 – 2:12:00
Mario Tennis Aces: 2:12:00 – 2:24:25
Other Stuff: 2:24:25 – 2:29:05
Politics Talk: 2:29:05 – 2:46:28

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #243 – Revisiting Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 12:00:00 +0000

This week, we return to the world of Star Wars in our ongoing series of in-depth retrospectives on the original six films, this time arriving at the best and most iconic Episode of them all: The Empire Strikes Back, a sequel that not only defined much of what we now think of as Star Wars, but created a sequel template that countless Hollywood franchises have since followed. For as widely appreciated and discussed as the film is, there is still a lot to learn from and discover about this great movie, something we strive to do in this discussion. Jonathan also gives his final thoughts on the Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion, Sean talks a bit more about catching up with Rise of the Tomb Raider, and we cover a few pieces of stray entertainment news to round out the show.

Enjoy!

Time Chart
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:45
Stuff: 0:02:45 – 0:39:58
News: 0:39:58 – 0:53:28
The Empire Strikes Back: 0:53:28 – 2:54:42

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #242 – Revisiting 2001: A Space Odyssey at 50, Incredibles 2, Splatoon 2 Octo, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 20 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey turns 50 this year, and in celebration, Warner Bros has been touring a brand new 70mm print of the classic film around the United States, which arrived here in Denver last week. It’s a marvelous presentation of a masterful film, and we thought we’d take the opportunity to dive deep with one of the greatest films ever made, in one of the most enjoyable and engaging movie discussions we’ve ever had on the podcast. Jonathan also reviews Incredibles 2 and the Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion on Nintendo Switch, while Sean talks about finally catching up with Rise of the Tomb Raider and revisiting Dragon Ball FighterZ, and we both talk about a few bits of post-E3 news.

Enjoy! And on a very different current events note, if you would like to assist the families currently being torn apart at America’s southern border, as we acknowledge at the top of the show, I’ve made a donation at this link – which spreads your contribution out amongst multiple agencies doing crucial work to help these broken families – and would recommend you do so as well, if you are at all able: https://actblue.com/donate/kidsattheborder

Time Chart
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:25
News: 0:06:25 – 0:29:34
Incredibles 2 & Bao: 0:29:34 – 0:50:20
Tomb Raider Talk: 0:50:20 – 1:09:02
Splatoon 2 Octo Expansion: 1:09:02 – 1:17:46
Sean Returns to Dragon Ball FighterZ: 1:17:46 – 1:34:14
Revisiting 2001: A Space Odyssey: 1:34:14 – 3:15:13

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #241 – E3 2018 Day 3: Nintendo & Smash Bros Analysis and E3 Wrap-Up

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 13 Jun 2018 12:00:00 +0000

The third day of E3 2018 shows brought us Nintendo’s showcase, which was almost entirely focused on the reveal of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate for Nintendo Switch. The game looks like it will deliver the goods and then some – but did the show need to spend over 25 minutes diving into such extreme minutiae? We answer this question and any more as we consider Nintendo’s offerings, before diving into some final thoughts on everything we’ve seen over the past few days. We rank everybody’s shows, list the best and worst games displayed on stage, and discuss the silliest, most impressive, and most surprising moments of this year’s E3.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #240 – E3 2018 Day 2: Sony, Ubisoft, and Square Enix Analysis

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 12 Jun 2018 12:00:00 +0000

Day 2 of E3 2018 brought us big showcases from Sony and Ubisoft, and a completely baffling non-event from Square Enix, and we recap and analyze all of it on today’s show. We dive deep with the big looks at Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Beyond Good and Evil 2, Kingdom Hearts 3, The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, Death Stranding, Spider-Man, and much more, celebrate Ubisoft’s awesome dancing panda, reflect on the unconventional structure of Sony’s show, and try to figure out what the hell happened with that bizarre bit of trolling from Square Enix. And we’ll be back tomorrow to do it one more time with Nintendo’s showcase and our final thoughts on the week’s events.

Oh, and I also cut together footage from the Assassin’s Creed Odyssey trailer with the music from Super Mario Odyssey, and am weirdly proud of how it turned out, so go ahead and give it a look here: https://youtu.be/U1SgxdSZHos

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:25
Square Enix ‘Showcase’: 0:05:25 – 0:31:29
Ubisoft Showcase: 0:31:29 – 1:22:30
Sony Showcase: 1:22:30 – 2:34:52

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #239 – E3 2018 Day 1: Microsoft, EA, and Bethesda Analysis

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

It’s that time of the year again: E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, has kicked off in Los Angeles, and we’re doing daily podcasts this week to catch up on all the news, announcements, gaffes, demos, and reveals from each of the major press conferences. This weekend saw EA, Microsoft, and Bethesda each take their turn at bat, and they’re the focus of our Day 1 podcast. EA saw our first in-depth look at Bioware’s Anthem, Microsoft demonstrated future investment in the Xbox brand and showed off a truck full of third-party games, and Bethesda delivered a warm, funny show that effectively sold us on two seemingly unnecessary games – Rage 2 and Fallout 76 – before dropping the mic several times in a row with the first official confirmation of Starfield and Elder Scrolls VI. We talk about all of that and much more in our customary depth, and will be back tomorrow to discuss Square Enix, Ubisoft, and Sony’s big shows.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:18
Movie News: 0:10:18 – 0:22:00
Pre-E3 Video Game News: 0:22:00 – 0:44:20
EA Showcase: 0:44:20 – 1:40:13
Microsoft Showcase: 1:40:13 – 2:58:30
Bethesda Showcase: 2:58:30 – 3:29:37

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #238 – Pre-E3 2018 Predictions and Reviewing Persona 3 & 5 Dancing Games

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Jun 2018 13:00:00 +0000

With E3 2018 just around the corner, we check in on what we’re expecting from all the major players – Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, EA, Ubisoft, and Bethesda – before next week’s big show. This has been one of the leakiest E3’s ever, but there’s a lot left to speculate about in what seems like it’s going to be an eventful convention. We also review the new Persona Dancing games from Japan – Persona 3 Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5 Dancing Star Night – in greater depth, gushing over all the best songs, dances, costumes, and more, and Jonathan tries to explain some very bad Yu-Gi-Oh filler in a segment that quickly goes off the rails.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:56
Stuff: 0:02:56 – 0:26:52
Pre-E3 News & Predictions: 0:26:52 – 2:35:30
Persona 3 Dancing Moon Night & Persona 5 Dancing Star Night Reviews: 2:35:30 – 3:25:02

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #237 – Reviewing Solo: A Star Wars Story, Talking Persona 3 & 5 Dancing, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 29 May 2018 13:00:00 +0000

After just 5 months, Star Wars is back in theaters with Ron Howard’s Solo: A Star Wars Story, and we have complicated feelings about it! We both like the film to varying degrees, but what both its content and tepid box-office performance say about the current state and confusing future of the franchise gives us an awful lot to talk about. We also discuss the Japanese releases of Persona 3: Dancing Moon Night and Persona 5: Dancing Star Night, the latest spin-off rhythm games from our favorite franchise. Jonathan asks Sean for help with Dark Souls Remastered, we ponder the news of an in-development Boba Fett movie, and much more!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:57
Persona 3 and Persona 5 Dancing Games: 0:03:57 – 0:28:28
Dark Souls Remastered: 0:28:28 – 0:36:32
News: 0:36:32 – 1:24:03
Solo: A Star Wars Story Review: 1:24:03 – 3:23:50

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Bonus #9 – Doctor Who: The Chimes of Midnight (Big Finish #29, 2002)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 24 May 2018 13:00:00 +0000

This month, we reach the end of our journey through Doctor Who history – for now, at least – by diving into the audio adventures of the series’ least well-known but paradoxically most prolific Doctor: Paul McGann, the 8th Doctor, who debuted in a poorly-received TV film in 1996, but went on to star in a broad swath on ancillary material up to and beyond the show’s return to BBC in 2005. For this episode, we discuss one of the 8th Doctor’s earliest adventures, the 2002 Big Finish audio drama “The Chimes of Midnight,” by Robert Shearman, a haunted house mystery that has a lot more going on than one might expect at first blush. It is undoubtedly one of the boldest, most experimental, and most gripping Doctor Who stories ever produced, and proof that the franchise can work just as well in the form of an audio drama as it does on television.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #236 – Deadpool 2 Review, E3 Leaks, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 22 May 2018 13:00:00 +0000

This week, we got another major superhero film in Deadpool 2, a surprisingly excellent sequel that is funnier, zanier, and weirdly more heartfelt than the first film, fueled by great performances and excellent direction from David Leitch. We talk about the film in depth, and before that, cover a few recent pieces of news, including a spate of E3 leaks and rumors like Nintendo’s strange potential Pokemon project, while Jonathan gives first impressions on Shin Megami Tensei: Strange Journey Redux for 3DS and Sean continues his adventures in the literary world of Norse mythology by reading some mythological poetry by J.R.R. Tolkien.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:06
Stuff: 0:03:06 – 0:22:32
News, including E3 leaks: 0:22:32 – 1:02:17
Deadpool 2 Review: 1:02:17 – 1:56:01

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #235 – Revisiting Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 May 2018 13:00:00 +0000

This week, we return to a galaxy far, far away for our next in-depth Star Wars discussion, and after going through all three prequels in previous episodes, we finally arrive at the film that started it all: Star Wars, also known as Episode IV: A New Hope. Unlike the prequels, this film neither demands nor requires a critical reevaluation – it’s great, it’s always been great, and most people who have ever seen a movie agree with that – but there are still plenty of avenues to follow in discussing what makes this such a joyous, singular, perfectly imperfect cinematic revelation, and it makes for a fun chat about one of our favorite movies. Jonathan also talks about his recent trip to Iowa, Sean talks a little more Norse mythology, and we go over some recent Nintendo and Xbox news to round out the episode.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:22
Stuff: 0:03:22 – 0:27:38
News: 0:27:38 – 0:52:13
Revisiting Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope: 0:52:13 – 2:54:16

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #234 – God of War Discussion & Donkey Kong Country Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 7 May 2018 16:27:00 +0000

After giving general spoiler-free impressions last week, we dive deep with the new God of War, discussing the story, characters, themes, and gameplay in a wide-ranging discussion that reveals just how much this game has to offer, intellectually, emotionally, and as a major technical achievement. Jonathan also talks about his recent experiences playing through all of the Donkey Kong Country games, from the Super NES games by Rare to Retro Studio’s 2010 reboot, in anticipation of this week’s release of Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze for the Nintendo Switch. Further adventures with the original Japanese version of Yu-Gi-Oh! and Sean’s deep dive into Norse mythology round out the episode.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:56
Stuff: 0:04:56 – 0:21:46
Donkey Kong Country: 0:21:46 – 1:03:23
God of War Spoiler Discussion: 1:03:23 – 2:47:08

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #233 – Avengers: Infinity War Review & God of War Impressions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000

Marvel’s biggest movie yet has landed in theaters, and we have a lot to say about the surprisingly great Avengers: Infinity War, a movie that has no right working, and yet somehow works amazingly well on so many levels. The biggest film event of the year would be enough to fill one podcast, of course – and we give the film the same spoiler-filled, in-depth discussion we always do with these movies – but that’s not all going on this week, as Sony launched one of the generation’s very best games in God of War. Neither of us has finished the (very long) game yet, so we just give some general impressions on the world and gameplay, without any spoilers or in-depth plot discussion (more on that next week!), to give some initial thoughts on why this game is such an immense, impressive treat. We also touch on some recent news from Nintendo, make fun of the latest horrible Venom trailer, and somehow go off on a tangent about Romeo & Juliet for 17 minutes, because that’s how we roll here at the Weekly Stuff Podcast.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:12:58
Stuff: 0:12:58 – 0:30:21
News: 0:30:21 – 1:05:35
God of War Impressions: 1:05:35 – 1:48:29
Avengers: Infinity War Review: 1:48:29 – 3:18:19

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #232 – Persona 5 The Animation, Isao Takahata, and Ranking Spider-Man Games

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000

We have quite the grab bag for you on the show this week, as we discuss topics as wide-ranging as the passing of beloved Japanese director Isao Takahata, a true pioneer of the medium, to something as silly as Sean ranking all the Spider-Man games he has ever played to celebrate the release date announcement of Insomniac’s Spider-Man PS4 game. Jonathan also talks about his adventures re-watching Yu-Gi-Oh! in Japanese, Sean gives final thoughts on Far Cry 5, and we talk about the first two episodes of Persona 5 The Animation. We even bring Jonathan’s brother Thomas on to talk about Persona 4 Dancing All Night and the upcoming Persona 3 and 5 dancing spin-offs, given that Thomas is currently #1 in the leaderboards on most P4D songs.

And on a personal note, I (Jonathan) have some big life news to share on the podcast this week. I talk about it more on the show, but in short, I have been accepted to a PhD program in Film Studies at the University of Iowa, and will be moving later this year to attend. No, it does not mean the end of the podcast, though we’ll probably have to do some experimenting to make the transition from ‘two guys in a room with one mic’ to ‘two guys in two different states over the internet.’ Neither Sean nor I are all that worried – plenty of podcasts record this way! – but it will be a bit of a change, and if you’ve got any tips, we’d be happy to hear them!

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:09:10
Jonathan’s Yu-Gi-Oh! Adventures: 0:09:10 – 0:23:38
Sean on Far Cry 5: 0:23:38 – 0:49:20
Remembering Isao Takahata: 0:49:20 – 0:59:00
Incredibles 2 Trailer: 0:59:00 – 1:03:25
Spider-Man News & Countdown: 1:03:25 – 1:39:13
Persona 5 The Animation: 1:39:13 – 1:55:00
Persona Dancing Games Chat: 1:55:00 – 2:20:31

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Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #231 – Far Cry 5, Ready Player One, and Revisiting Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 2 Apr 2018 13:00:00 +0000

After revisiting the first two Star Wars Prequels earlier this year, we finally reach the third and final film in the controversial trilogy, and once again give it a thorough critical reevaluation. Revenge of the Sith is a great Star Wars movie, a bleak but rousing trilogy capper with a surprising amount of political resonance today, and it gives us a ton to dive into as we complete our project of revisiting the prequels. We also review some new movies – namely Steven Spielberg’s Ready Player One and Wes Anderson’s Isle of Dogs – and talk a bit about this week’s big game release, Far Cry 5, in a fun, busy, jam-packed episode.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:06
News: 0:03:06 – 0:09:08
Isle of Dogs Review: 0:09:08 – 0:26:00
Ready Player One Review: 0:26:00 – 0:43:46
Far Cry 5 Review: 0:43:46 – 1:02:12
Misc. (Detective Pikachu, Star Wars Rebels, and more): 1:02:12 – 1:21:08
Revisiting Star Wars Episode III: 1:21:08 – 3:46:33

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Bonus #8 – Doctor Who: Ghost Light (Story 154, 1989)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 28 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

This month, our journey through classic Doctor Who reaches a culmination point, as we drop in on the original series’ excellent final creative push, with the run of Sylvester McCoy’s wonderful Seventh Doctor and his delightfully loony antepenultimate story “Ghost Light.” One of the strangest, densest, and most compelling Doctor Who stories ever told, “Ghost Light” sees every member of the creative staff going down swinging in the last season of the original run, particularly showcasing McCoy’s very unique take on the character and Sophie Aldred’s all-time great companion Ace. This is an overlooked classic, and a great way to complete our 8-month-long journey through the show’s original 26-year run.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #230 – Tomb Raider, Dragon Ball Super, X-Files, Kirby, Detective Pikachu & more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Mar 2018 13:01:00 +0000

It’s a loose, fun, freewheelin’ grab-bag style episode on the show this week, as we talk about a whole host of recent movies, games, and TV shows. Jonathan reviews Ava DuVernay’s very good (and very undervalued) A Wrinkle in Time and the mostly disappointing Tomb Raider adaptation, which leads to a great discussion about the 25-year-history of video game adaptations failing spectacularly in Hollywood. Sean reviews the new season of The X-Files after its recent finale and talks about the outstanding final run of Dragon Ball Super. And finally, we review several recent video games, including Sean’s thoughts on Burnout Paradise Remastered and Jonathan’s first impressions of Detective Pikachu and overall thoughts on Kirby Star Allies. It’s a jam-packed episode full of fun topics that was a blast to record, and we think you’ll feel the same.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:05:32
(Stupid) News: 0:05:32 – 0:32:08
Movie Stuff (A Wrinkle in Time & Tomb Raider): 0:32:08 – 1:05:50
TV Stuff (X-Files, Dragon Ball Super): 1:05:50 – 1:42:10
Game Stuff (Detective Pikachu, Burnout Paradise, Kirby Star Allies): 1:42:10 – 2:10:30

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #229 - Reviewing Alex Garland's "Annihilation"

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

A month after its US release and on the heels of its international debut on Netflix, we finally get around to talking about Alex Garland's Annihilation, a sci-fi journey that is gorgeously strange, evocative, frustrating, and undeniably fascinating to talk about. This is a prerecorded episode we saved for a rainy day, so we hope you'll excuse the belated nature of this discussion (we'll be back next week with a more up-to-date episode!). For now, Annihilation is, warts and all, more than worthy of the full Weekly Stuff discussion treatment, and we hope you'll enjoy the review.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #228 - Mario Day, Nintendo Direct, Violence in Video Games & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Mar 2018 13:00:00 +0000

It's a grab-bag style episode this week, as offer topics ranging from serious and topical to silly and only tangentially topical. Sean and Jonathan both talk about great recent indie games, including Into the Breach and Celeste, recap the Oscars and this week's Nintendo Direct news, and cover some various odds and ends. We then have a serious talk about the absurdity of 'violence in video games' still being blamed for school shootings some 20 years after Columbine, in reaction to the nonsensical White House meeting this week, and what a gross function this rhetoric serves in distracting from real solutions. And finally, in honor of March 10 - "Mar10 Day," or "Mario Day," as Nintendo has coined (pun intended) - Jonathan ranks, on the fly, every single Super Mario Bros game in one of our sillier and less substantive recent segments.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:03:05
Sean Talks Into the Breach: 0:03:05 - 0:09:18
Jonathan Talks Celeste and other stuff: 0:09:18 - 0:31:14
News, including Oscar reactions: 0:31:14 - 1:17:40
Nintendo Direct recap: 1:17:40 - 1:46:42
Violence in Video Games: 1:46:42 - 2:06:09
Mario Day 'Celebration': 2:06:09 - 2:41:03

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Bonus #7 - Doctor Who: Vengeance on Varos (Story 139, 1985)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 28 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000

The turbulent 1980s for Doctor Who reached its lowest and most fraught period during the reign of Sixth Doctor Colin Baker, when the BBC's antagonism towards the show was at its most intense and the then 22-year-old series was even temporarily cancelled between Baker's first and second seasons. In the midst of much behind-the-scenes chaos, the show's on-screen quality wavered more than ever, despite consistently strong work from Baker himself. At least one true diamond-in-the-rough can be found in this era, and it's the story we're discussing today: "Vengeance on Varos," the Sixth Doctor's third story and one of Doctor Who's darkest and most overtly political hours. The story itself, and the tale of the series' desperate fight for survival during these years, makes for one of our most interesting bonus podcasts to date.

Oh, and we also talk about "Doctor in Distress," a megagroup-style charity single designed to rally public support for the series after its first cancellation. It is an absolute trip and you're going to want to watch it before listening to this episode (https://youtu.be/NnTSbFeWwro).

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #227 - Ranking 10 Years of Marvel Cinematic Universe Movies

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000

With Black Panther continuing its stunning box-office run and dominating pop culture conversations, we thought this might be a good week to look back at the 10-year history of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that brought us to this point, the journey that began way back in May of 2008 with the original Iron Man. We talk about what it's been like to follow (and, for this podcast, cover) 10 years of this Hollywood-changing phenomenon, and in classic Weekly Stuff fashion, we also rank all 18 movies released under the Marvel Studios banner thus far, creating in real-time our 'definitive' podcast rankings of all the films. We also cover a small piece of Doctor Who news, grapple with Joss Whedon's complicated legacy in a conversation triggered by his leaving DC's Batgirl project, and at the very end, talk about how baffling it is to see the argument against 'violent video games' back in the mainstream again from America's highest office.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #226 - Black Panther, Movie Trailers, Dragon Quest Builders, and much more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000

It's the movie sensation that's gripping the nation: Ryan Coogler's Black Panther is finally here, and it's one of the best, most artistically accomplished, and most culturally significant superhero films ever made. We give it our usual in-depth treatment, diving into everything that makes this film such a thoroughly special, rewarding entry in Marvel's ever-expanding cinematic canon. We also catch up on two weeks' worth of news, movie trailers (like Solo and Venom), and stuff, including Jonathan's adventures with Dragon Quest Builders on Switch and Sean's time going back and forth between Dragon Ball FighterZ and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2.

Time Chart:

Intro, including talk about Florida school shooting: 0:00:00 - 0:09:04
Stuff, including Dragon Quest Builders and Dragon Ball FighterZ and Xenoverse 2: 0:09:04 - 0:46:36
News: 0:46:36 - 1:30:08
Black Panther Review: 1:30:08 - 3:24:25

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #225 - Revisiting Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Feb 2018 14:00:00 +0000

This week, we return to a galaxy far, far away for our second critical conversation about the infamous Star Wars prequels, this time diving deep with Episode II - Attack of the Clones. Perhaps the most maligned and dismissed of the Star Wars films, Attack of the Clones is, like The Phantom Menace before it, a much better film than its reputation would assert, a 'grown-up' Star Wars movie full of complicated ideas and nuanced character work. It also represents a major inflection point in the history of digital cinema, and remains one of the most visually stunning blockbusters ever created. Once again, this was a fun and engaging topic to record, and we think you'll enjoy it. We also talk a little more about some recent games, including Dragon Ball FighterZ, walk through some recent gaming news, and give thoughts on all the movie trailers from Super Bowl Sunday, including our first look at Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:03:54
Dragon Ball FighterZ and Digimon Story Hacker's Memory Update: 0:03:54 - 0:20:06
News: 0:20:06 - 1:17:38
Revisiting Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones: 1:17:38 - 3:33:38

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #224 - Dragon Ball FighterZ, Digimon Story Hacker's Memory and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 29 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

On today's show, we review of two of January's plethora of video game releases, diving into the fighting game that's quickly taken the gaming world by storm, Dragon Ball FighterZ, and chatting about the sequel to 2016's Game of the Year, Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth: Hacker's Memory. These are two very different games that are sort of difficult to play on top of each other, but they've made for a rich start to the year in gaming. FighterZ is an amazing achievement in its genre that makes astoundingly good use of the Dragon Ball world and its characters, while Hacker's Memory is just as clever, soulful, and surprising as the unexpectedly great JRPG it expands upon. And before we get to those reviews, we take a trip to Sean's Beta Corner for thoughts on Metal Gear Survive, talk a little Doctor Who, and walk through some recent news, including an interesting Kotaku story about the state of Bioware and Anthem development.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:04:54
Stuff, including Sean's Beta Corner: 0:04:54 - 0:20:53
News: 0:20:53 - 0:53:03
Dragon Ball FighterZ: 0:53:03 - 1:53:33
Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth Hacker's Memory: 1:53:33 - 2:28:03

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #223 - Revisiting Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

This week on the show, we've recorded the first in a series of conversations about three of the most ubiquitously discussed, ridiculed, and meme-ified films in the modern pop culture landscape: The Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. For all the attention these films have gotten over the years, how much genuine critical engagement - something deeper than just "LOL JAR JAR!" - have they truly been afforded? What do they tell us about a franchise that has resurged in cultural dominance in recent years, how did they set the stage for the digital cinema revolution we are currently living through, and what do they have to say about the politics of the 21st century? These films are better, deeper, richer, and more critically rewarding than they get credit for, and we aim to rectify that gap, starting here with our in-depth discussion of The Phantom Menace. Whatever your thoughts on the film, we think you'll find this conversation interesting, and only ask you go in with an open mind. And before the main topic, we also talk some Doctor Who, give our very early impressions of Digimon Story Cybersleuth Hacker's Memory for the PS4, and go over a few news items, including the announcement of the new 'Nintendo Labo' product line for the Switch.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 - 0:05:28
Doctor Who Stuff: 0:05:28 - 0:18:22
Digimon Story Cybersleuth Hacker's Memory Impressions: 0:18:22 - 0:28:55
News: 0:28:55 - 0:46:03
Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace: 0:46:03 - 2:51:38

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Bonus #6 – Doctor Who: Kinda (Story 119, 1982)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 18 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

It’s time for another monthly bonus episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman, where we will be discussing serials from classic Doctor Who history.

After two wonderful months spent chronicling the adventures of the Fourth Doctor, we jump ahead to the strange reign of the Fifth, played by Peter Davison, and the rocky tenure of producer John Nathan Turner. Kinda, the story we discuss here, is the Fifth Doctor’s third-ever serial, and it is one of the weirdest, wildest, and most unique Doctor Who stories ever told, steeped in dream sequences, surreal imagery, and bizarre plotting that, at the very least, adds up to an extremely memorable story. Is there more than just wackiness on display here? What do we make of Davison’s performance as the Fifth Doctor? And is Adric or Tegan a worse companion? We answer all these questions and more in our in-depth discussion of Kinda.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #222 – Nintendo Direct, Dragon Ball Beta, and 2018 Year-in-Preview

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 16 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

It’s a grab-bag style episode this week, as we cover a week’s worth of news items, including Thursday’s Nintendo Direct announcements, Sean reviews the beta for upcoming fighting game Dragon Ball FighterZ, and Jonathan talks about finally catching up on Pokken Tournament DX for Nintendo Switch. And for our main topic, we preview what’s to come in 2018 in terms of video games, looking at the confirmed games for Spring and discussing what we plan to play and review, and speculating about which games will and won’t come out through the rest of the year. We even play a silly game where we ‘draft’ which games we think won’t make speculated 2018 release dates, just for fun.

Enjoy, and come back for our next Doctor Who bonus podcast this Thursday!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:08:19
Sean’s Beta Corner – Dragon Ball FighterZ: 0:08:19 – 0:21:00
Jonathan talks Pokken Tournament DX: 0:21:00 – 0:32:50
News, including Nintendo Direct: 0:32:50 – 1:13:45
2018 Gaming Year-in-Preview: 1:13:45 – 1:46:38

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #221 – Holiday Stories, Doctor Who Christmas Special Review & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Jan 2018 14:00:00 +0000

For our first show back in the new year, we clear the deck with hours of holiday stories, reviews, and chats about games old and new we’ve been playing over the break. Sean talks about his Christmas at sea, with a mini-rant about a library on a cruise ship, while Jonathan reviews some Blu-rays he received as presents, including Twin Peaks: The Return and the new Doctor Who: Shada reconstruction. Sean talks about playing Assassin’s Creed Origins and revisiting Star Wars Jedi Knight II, while Jonathan recounts his weird tradition of playing Papers Please every Christmas, and his journey diving back into the Batman: Arkham series. We cover a few quick pieces of news, and then for our main topic review this year’s Doctor Who Christmas Special, “Twice Upon a Time,” the last episode written by Steven Moffat and starring Peter Capaldi. It’s the end of the wonderful era, and the start of something very exciting, and we have, as is our wont, a lot to say on the subject.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:00
Holiday Stories: 0:03:00 – 0:36:49
Holiday Gaming Stories: 0:36:49 – 1:27:00
News: 1:27:00 – 1:49:32
Doctor Who Christmas Special: 1:49:32 – 3:58:04

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

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Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff BONUS - The Top 10 Films of 2017

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 31 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

In this special New Year's Eve bonus episode, co-host Jonathan Lack counts down his picks for the Top 10 Films of 2017, and talks a bit about each of them. You can read the written version of this at www.jonathanlack.com.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #220 - The Top 10 Video Games of 2017

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 21 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

In our final episode of 2017, we look back on a truly special year in video games (albeit a rather horrible year for the world at large) by counting down the Top 10 Games of the Year, with each host presenting their own list. It was a year defined by amazing exclusives, resurgent franchises, and a renaissance for Japanese developers, with the majority of games on both lists coming from Japan. For the second year in a row, there are only four titles that cross over between our two lists, and there are quite a few surprises along the way. This has been the biggest year for our podcast to date, and what better way to close things out than with this annual countdown? It’s a great conversation, and one you won’t want to miss.

Enjoy, and we will see you all again in the new year!

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #219 - Reviewing Star Wars: The Last Jedi

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 19 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

For the third December in a row, we’ve got a big new Star Wars movie to talk about, and for the first time we agree: The Last Jedi is the real deal, a genuine, beautifully made Star Wars movie with a hell of a lot of meat on its bones. Before our big review, though, we cover a few different topics, including the week’s major news that Disney is buying Fox. We head on over to Sean’s Beta Corner for his thoughts on the Monster Hunter World beta, while Jonathan review the Champions Ballad DLC for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. And then it’s time to dive into The Last Jedi, in full spoiler detail. It’s a really good conversation about a fascinating, imperfect, but absolutely rewarding movie.

Enjoy, and come back Thursday for our final episode of the year: The Top 10 Video Games of 2017!

Time Chart:

Intro and Housekeeping: 0:00:00 – 0:10:07
Doctor Who Stuff: 0:10:07 – 0:19:28
Other Stuff: 0:19:28 – 0:36:10
News, including Disney buying Fox: 0:36:10 – 0:50:00
Sean’s Beta Corner – Monster Hunter World: 0:50:00 – 1:00:36
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild – Champion’s Ballad DLC: 1:00:36 – 1:16:09
Reviewing Star Wars: The Last Jedi: 1:16:09 – 3:39:21

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The Weekly Stuff Bonus #5 – Doctor Who: City of Death (Story 105, 1979)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 13 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

To do the long reign of the Fourth Doctor justice, we’re sticking with Tom Baker again this month, jumping ahead to 1979, his penultimate season, for one of the greatest Doctor Who stories ever mounted: “City of Death,” credited to the pseudonym ‘David Agnew,’ but which was mainly written by then-script editor and Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy writer Douglas Adams. One of the great humorists of all time, Adams’ voice is apparent throughout this wonderful, zany, insanely compelling story, which features Lalla Ward as companion Romana, famed actor Julian Glover as the lead antagonist, a terrific guest performance from Tom Chadbon as memorable one-off companion Duggan, and even an amazing cameo from John Cleese and Eleanor Bron. And much of it is shot on location in Paris, one of the few times Doctor Who has ever left England. If you’ve never seen a classic Doctor Who story, “City of Death” will make you a true believer – this is just about as good as TV gets.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #218 – Ranking Every Steven Moffat Episode of Doctor Who (Retrospective Part 2)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 12 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

In the second of three podcasts this week, we continue our in-depth retrospective of the Steven Moffat era of Doctor Who, which will be coming to a close on Christmas day with the final Peter Capaldi adventure, “Twice Upon a Time.” This conversation was so large, we decided to split it into two parts. On today’s episode, we count down all 39 Doctor Who stories written by Steven Moffat, from “The Empty Child” in 2005 to “The Doctor Falls” in 2017. We celebrate every high, scour every low, and occasionally recalibrate rankings on the fly because lists are a silly and inexact silence. If you missed Part 1 of this conversation, where we take a broader view on the era as a whole, make sure to check out Episode 217.

Enjoy, and come back Wednesday for our fifth monthly Classic Doctor Who bonus podcast!

(There will be non-Doctor Who topics next week. We promise.)

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The Weekly Stuff #217 – Game Awards News & Doctor Who Steven Moffat-era Retrospective (Part 1)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

In the first of three podcasts this week – yes, we’re crazy – we discuss a week’s worth of movie and gaming news, including all the announcements out of the Game Awards, before diving into a long-promised topic: Our in-depth retrospective of the Steven Moffat era of Doctor Who, which will be coming to a close on Christmas day with the final Peter Capaldi adventure, “Twice Upon a Time.” This conversation was so large, we decided to split it into two parts. On today’s episode, we talk about the Moffat era as a whole, from the debut of “The Eleventh Hour” way back in 2010 to the most recent episodes we covered this year. We reminisce about covering the show in such depth throughout the decade, discuss which writers we loved most from the era, how the show evolved so much across six seasons and two Doctors, and more. And in part 2 of that conversation, which we’ll be releasing tomorrow as Episode #218, we rank all 39 Doctor Who stories written by Steven Moffat.

Enjoy, and come back tomorrow for Part 2 of this conversation, and on Wednesday for our fifth monthly Classic Doctor Who bonus podcast!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:38
News, including Game Awards Analysis: 0:06:38 – 0:35:38
Doctor Who Steven Moffat-era Retrospective, Part 1: 0:35:38 – 1:58:35

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #216 – Assassin’s Creed Origins, Xenoblade 2, Avengers Trailer, Doctor Who & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 5 Dec 2017 14:00:00 +0000

We kick off the last month of this very busy year with a grab-bag style episode in which we review three games, discuss some recent news, swap Thanksgiving stories, and go off on a very long Doctor Who tangent. Before diving into our main topics, we talk about some recent movies and Sean shares his thoughts on recent episode of Dragon Ball Super, while we both gush over the new Avengers: Infinity War trailer and scratch our heads at some crazy news in the entertainment industry. For our main reviews, Jonathan gives his impressions on the first 7 or 8 hours of Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and explains why there won’t be any second impressions; Sean returns to Nioh with some final thoughts on the Samurai action game; and Jonathan reviews Assassin’s Creed Origins, a beautiful game that is perhaps too big for its own good.

Enjoy, and come back next week for our long-awaited Steven Moffat-era Doctor Who retrospective!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:37
Stuff, including Thanksgiving stories, Dragon Ball Super and Doctor Who chat: 0:02:37 – 0:47:03
News, including Avengers trailer and more: 0:47:03 – 1:22:33
Xenoblade Chronicles 2 Impressions: 1:22:33 – 1:49:22
Nioh Final Thoughts: 1:49:22 – 1:58:32
Assassin’s Creed Origins Review: 1:58:32 – 2:31:54

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Bonus #4 – Doctor Who: The Brain of Morbius (Story 84, 1976)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 22 Nov 2017 14:00:00 +0000

It’s time for another monthly bonus episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman, episodes where we will be discussing serials from classic Doctor Who history.

Today, we enter perhaps the most iconic era of Doctor Who, meeting the Fourth Doctor, Tom Baker, for one of his era’s quintessential Gothic Horror stories, “The Brain of Morbius.” Written by Robert Holmes, perhaps the greatest writer in the history of the show, “Morbius” is emblematic of the Fourth Doctor’s first three seasons, produced by Philip Hinchcliffe with Holmes serving as Script Edtior, and one of the most creative and atmospheric stories in the show’s history. Featuring the series’ most iconic companion, Sarah Jane Smith (Elizabeth Sladen), a terrific villain (Philip Madoc as Doctor Solon), and the wonderfully bizarre Sisterhood of Karn, “The Brain of Morbius” is a true classic, and a great entry point for enjoying the Fourth Doctor’s iconic tenure.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #215 – Justice League, Star Wars Battlefront II Debacle, and Remembering Hiromi Tsuru

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 20 Nov 2017 14:00:00 +0000

The headline topic this week is DC’s disastrously boring Justice League movie, an incomprehensible, empty shell of a movie we spend over an hour of today’s show discussing in spoiler-rich detail. Suffice it to say, the film feels like the nail in the coffin for DC’s ‘shared universe’ film plans, which we’ve been covering on the show for years. But we also discuss two of the week’s big game releases – Skyrim on the Nintendo Switch and Pokemon Ultra Sun for the 3DS – and cover some major news items, including the ongoing debacle over EA’s Star Wars Battlefront II lootbox controversy, and the passing of beloved Japanese voice actress Hiromi Tsuru, who voiced Bulma in Dragon Ball for over 30 years.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:58
Stuff, including Skyrim on Switch and Pokemon Ultra Sun: 0:02:58 – 0:19:28
News, including Hiromi Tsuru and Star Wars Battlefront II: 0:19:28 – 0:59:22
Justice League Review: 0:59:22 – 2:19:06

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #214 – Thor Ragnarok, Mario Odyssey, Wolfenstein II, Sonic Forces & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 14:00:00 +0000

In the second episode of the week, we offer a slate of reviews for recent games, giving final thoughts on Wolfenstein II and Super Mario Odyssey, while Sean waxes poetic about the magic of Hatsune Miku: Project DIVA Future Tone on the PS4 and Jonathan discusses the hollow shell of Sonic Forces. But for the main event, we dive into Thor Ragnarok, one of the very best Marvel films to date, devoting a full hour to discussing all the wonderful characters, colorful visuals, and surprisingly poignant themes of this excellent superhero adventure.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:35
Stuff: 0:01:35 – 0:14:05
Wolfenstein II: 0:14:05 – 0:21:12
Super Mario Odyssey: 0:21:12 – 0:26:48
Hatsune Miku Project DIVA Future Tone: 0:26:48 – 0:41:35
Sonic Forces: 0:41:35 – 0:56:28
Thor Ragnarok: 0:56:28 – 2:05:23

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #213 – Industry Harassment, News Round-up, 13th Doctor Costume & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 14 Nov 2017 14:00:00 +0000

It’s the first episode of a two-podcast week, as some unforeseen craziness in Sean’s life left us taking last week off. So we’ve split this week’s topics into two episodes. First, in today’s podcast, we cover two weeks’ worth of news, from PlayStation’s big event in Paris, to Universal bailing on their Dark Universe after just one movie, to Amazon potentially making a Lord of the Rings series, to Doctor Who revealing Jodie Whittaker’s 13th Doctor costume. But we also spend the first hour diving deep into the flood of sexual harassment and assault allegations that have consumed the entertainment, media, and political spheres these past few weeks, listing every story we could find, and striving to comprehend what this moment means for our culture and society going forward.

Enjoy, and join us again Thursday for our second show of the week, where we’ll review Thor Ragnarok, give more thoughts on Super Mario Odyssey and Wolfenstein II, review Sonic Forces, and more!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:35
Industry Harassment: 0:06:35 – 0:52:43
Gaming News: 0:52:43 – 1:18:46
Movie News: 1:18:46 – 1:34:22
TV News: 1:34:22 – 1:45:18
13th Doctor Costume Reveal: 1:45:18 – 1:51:26

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #212 – Super Mario Odyssey, Wolfenstein II, Doctor Who News & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

This week saw some of the biggest video game releases of the year, and we review two of them on today’s show, with Jonathan diving into the wonders of Super Mario Odyssey and Sean throwing hatchets at Nazi heads with Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus. Both reviews are more or less spoiler-free, unless you want to go in completely cold. Before those big topics, though, we also cover a week’s worth of news, including a big cast announcement for the next season of Doctor Who, a bizarre Sonic Forces demo, and a follow-up to our thoughts on last week’s news about Visceral and EA.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:28
Stuff: 0:04:28 – 0:16:40
News: 0:16:40 – 0:57:35
Wolfenstein II: 0:57:35 – 1:32:53
Super Mario Odyssey: 1:32:53 – 2:22:53

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Bonus #3 - Doctor Who: The Daemons (Story 59, 1971)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 25 Oct 2017 19:11:00 +0000

Today, we dive into the incredible and singular run of the Third Doctor, Jon Pertwee, with the wild, wacky, and wonderful 1971 serial “The Daemons,” by Barry Letts and Robert Sloman (writing under the joint pseudonym “Guy Leopold”). The last serial in the season that introduced Roger Delgado’s iconic Master, and featured him in every one of the year’s stories, “The Daemons” closes Season 8 on an action-packed high note, with one of the most thrilling, creative, and straight-up entertaining stories Doctor Who would ever tell. And it features the entire Third Doctor gang, including companion Jo Grant (Katy Manning), Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart (Nicholas Courtney), and UNIT soldiers Sergeant Benton (John Levene) and Captain Mike Yates (Richard Frankling). In addition to “The Daemons,” we also talk about the entire Third Doctor era up to that point, and all the ways it distinguishes itself from other periods in the show’s history. If you haven’t been following along yet, this is a great place to start.

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #211 – Fire Emblem Warriors, Nioh, and EA Closing Visceral

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

We have two game reviews and a big piece of gaming news on this week’s show, as we await a flood of film and game releases over the next few weeks. First, we talk a silly Star Wars title reveal and an amazing second trailer for Black Panther, before diving into EA’s closure of Visceral and the ‘redevelopment’ of their long-in-the-making Star Wars game, all of which is perhaps one of the most surprising industry developments in years. And for our reviews, Jonathan talks this week’s Fire Emblem Warriors for the Nintendo Switch, while Sean takes a belated look at the samurai action game Nioh on the PS4. Both are excellent games well worth your time.

Enjoy, and come back Wednesday for our third monthly classic Doctor Who bonus podcast, on the Third Doctor story “The Daemons.”

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:25
Stuff (mostly Doctor Who rambles): 0:02:25 – 0:13:55
News, including EA closing Visceral: 0:13:55 – 0:56:25
Fire Emblem Warriors: 0:56:25 – 1:27:25
Nioh: 1:27:25 – 2:01:24

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #210 – Star Wars Stuff, Movie News, and Blade Runner 2049 Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

After a week off, we have a whole lot of stuff to cover, from a bevy of interesting movie trailers – including Justice League and Star Wars: The Last Jedi – to Sean’s experiences with the Star Wars Battlefront II beta, to the horrific revelations about Hollywood mogul and serial sex predator Harvey Weinstein (like all parts of our lives these days, there’s a lot of tonal whiplash to this episode). And for our main topic, we cover one of the year’s most fascinating films, the 35-years-later sequel Blade Runner 2049. Sean and Jonathan don’t see eye-to-eye on every part of the film, but it still makes for a deep and engaging discussion about a movie that is absolutely worth talking about.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:23
Stuff, including Star Wars Battlefront II Beta: 0:05:23 – 1:03:00
Weinstein news and sexual harassment in Hollywood: 1:03:00 – 1:21:30
News, including Star Wars & Justice League trailer analysis: 1:21:30 – 1:57:55
Blade Runner 2049 Review: 1:57:55 – 3:19:56

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Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #209 – SNES Classic, Red Dead Trailer, and Blade Runner Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 2 Oct 2017 13:00:00 +0000

With Blade Runner 2049 on the horizon, it’s finally time to revisit one of our favorite films of all times by diving deep with Ridley Scott’s original Blade Runner. This is a movie we have both loved for a very long time, and one we’ve wanted to do a podcast about for years, so this episode is a long time coming. It’s a movie that gives us plenty to talk about, but we still find time to share some stories (about classic Doctor Who, indie games, and more), break down the new trailer for Red Dead Redemption 2, and discuss the launch and our initial impressions of Nintendo’s hotly anticipated SNES Classic.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:35
Stuff: 0:03:35 – 0:35:25
News, including Red Dead Redemption 2 trailer analysis: 0:35:25 – 1:08:38
SNES Classic Impressions: 1:08:38 – 1:37:34
Blade Runner Retrospective: 1:37:34 – 3:11:08

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Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Bonus #2 – Doctor Who: The Tomb of the Cybermen (Story 37, 1967)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 2 Oct 2017 12:00:00 +0000

Today, we dive into one of the most iconic Doctor Who stories ever told, “The Tomb of the Cybermen,” by Kit Peddler and Gerry Davis, from 1967. The most infamous Second Doctor (Patrick Troughton) story, “Tomb of the Cybermen” is chilling, wickedly intelligent, surprisingly brutal, and deeply atmospheric, a testament to the show’s ingenuity and creativity, and certainly one of the most thrilling tales in the Doctor Who pantheon. We give the episode our trademark in-depth look, and invite you to watch along with us as we take this curated journey through Doctor Who history.

Members of our Patreon get these bonus Doctor Who episodes a full week early, so sign up at www.patreon.com/weeklystuffpodcast, at the $5 level or higher, and enjoy this and hours of other great rewards.

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #208 – Metroid, Destiny, N64 Classic Speculation, and Confronting Racism and Sexism in Film and Gaming

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Sep 2017 13:00:00 +0000

It’s the grab-bag to end all grab-bags and a real emotional roller coaster on this week’s very loose podcast. The biggest topic this week is something more serious than we usually tackle, and that is the wave of racism in the gaming community (highlighted by PewDiePie’s behavior earlier this month) and sexism in the film scene (the scandal involving Devin Faraci, Tim League, Harry Knowles, and more in Austin). It’s not an easy thing to talk about, but it is crucial to stop and take a deeper look, to try understanding how we can better identify and talk about these problems in the future, and what we can all do on an individual basis to try to improve the communities we take part in.

And we try to even out that heavy subject matter with a bevy of funnier, sillier topics, including us speculating about the N64 Classic Edition, updating our thoughts on Destiny 2 and Metroid: Samus Returns, previewing the games we’re playing in October, and much more.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:47
Stuff, including Kingsman 2 and Tomb Raider trailer: 0:03:47 – 0:27:47
Confronting Racism/Sexism in Film & Gaming: 0:27:47 – 1:24:50
N64 Classic Speculation: 1:24:50 – 1:46:02
Patreon Shout-Outs: 1:46:02 – 1:47:24
Metroid: Samus Returns: 1:47:24 – 2:01:30
Destiny 2: 2:01:30 – 2:16:06
October Game Preview: 2:16:06 – 2:23:36

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #207 – Destiny 2, Metroid Samus Returns, Nintendo Direct & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Sep 2017 13:00:00 +0000

We’re back after a week off and returning to our old Monday timeslot with a jam-packed episode. After Sean gives some final thoughts on Yakuza Kiwami and we speculate about the possibility of the It cinematic universe, we cover a week-and-a-half worth of news, including the passing of acting legend Harry Dean Stanton, some big movie announcements, and a Nintendo Direct presentation with some very cool surprises. Then it’s time for some game reviews, as Jonathan gives some impressions on the outstanding Metroid: Samus Returns, and we both go deep with Destiny 2. We’ve been covering Destiny since the very beginning, back with the Alpha in the summer of 2014, and it’s been quite a ride to see the game come this far, and culminate in a sequel this confident and enjoyable.

Enjoy, and join our Patreon today to get access to Bonus Podcasts, Let’s Play gaming videos, and more!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:45
Stuff: 0:04:45 – 0:32:55
News, including Nintendo Direct: 0:32:55 – 1:32:57
Metroid: Samus Returns: 1:32:57 – 1:48:29
Destiny 2: 1:48:29 – 3:18:16

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #206 – Twin Peaks Finale Review, Yakuza Kiwami, Mario + Rabbids & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 6 Sep 2017 13:00:00 +0000

This Sunday, David Lynch’s masterful Twin Peaks: The Return came to an end on Showtime, with Parts 17 and 18, and as one of our favorite things we have ever talked about in six years of this podcast, we had a lot to say on the perfect and provocative ending. As in, almost three hours worth of things to say. But if you don’t watch Twin Peaks, fear not! There’s another hour of content at the top of the show, in which we discuss the re-release of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, go over the news that Colin Trevorrow has been booted from Star Wars Episode IX, and offer reviews of Yakuza Kiwami for the PS4 and Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle for the Nintendo Switch. And then we talk about the weird, wonderful, soaring send-off to the world of Twin Peaks, if you’ve been following along.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:39
Stuff: 0:04:39 – 0:17:52
News: 0:17:52 – 0:33:23
Yakuza Kiwami: 0:33:23 – 0:50:33
Mario + Rabbids: 0:50:33 – 1:08:57
Twin Peaks Parts 17 & 18: 1:08:57 – 3:46:54

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #205 – Uncharted: The Lost Legacy, Mario + Rabbids, Twin Peaks Part 16 & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 30 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0000

We have two awesome topics to talk about this week, and that’s on top of an opening hour where we give impressions of Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle for Nintendo Switch, give an update on the SNES Classic Preorder Debacle, and reflect on the state of Valve after the reveal of the ultimately unused Half-Life 2 Episode 3 plot synopsis. Those main topics are a spoiler-filled review of Uncharted: The Lost Legacy for the PS4, a ‘bonus’ Uncharted game so good it has us wishing Naughty Dog would keep making these until the end of time. And finally, we dive deep with the penultimate episode of Twin Peaks: The Return, “Part 16,” which was a simply marvelous episode of television that, to paraphrase a certain character, “made our hearts so full.”

Enjoy, and join our Patreon today to get access to Bonus Podcasts, Let’s Play gaming videos, and more!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:00
Stuff, including Mario + Rabbids Impressions: 0:06:00 – 0:35:29
News: 0:35:29 – 1:15:50
Uncharted: The Lost Legacy: 1:15:50 – 2:12:48
Twin Peaks Part 16: 2:12:48 – 3:14:57

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff Bonus #1 – Doctor Who: The Aztecs (Story 6, 1964)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 13:01:00 +0000

It’s time for the first in a series of monthly bonus episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast with Jonathan Lack & Sean Chapman, episodes where we will be discussing serials from classic Doctor Who history.

Today, we dive into the 6th Doctor Who story ever told, “The Aztecs,” by John Lucarotti. Emblematic of the ‘pure’ historical stories of the First Doctor (William Hartnell) era, devoid of any sci-fi trappings other than the basic conceit of time travel, this is one of the great stories in Doctor Who history, a spotlight on early companion Barbara and a testament to the show’s early penchant for creative, thoughtful storytelling and keen characterization. We give the episode our trademark in-depth look, and invite you to watch along with us as we take a curated journey through Doctor Who history.

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #204 – Sonic Mania Review, SNES Classic Debacle & Twin Peaks Part 15

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 23 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0000

It’s a diverse slate of topics this week as talk movies, games, TV, and so much more. First, Jonathan talks Steven Soderbergh’s wonderful new Logan Lucky and counts down his favorite 5 films of the 2017 summer movie season. Then we move on to discussing the Great Super NES Classic Pre-Order Debacle of 2017, and break down how Nintendo so thoroughly, insultingly botched a launch they should have had ample time and experience to prepare for. After running through some other pieces of film and gaming news, we then give a full spoiler-filled review of the outstanding Sonic Mania, which both of us declare the greatest Sonic the Hedgehog game ever made. And finally, we review “Part 15” of Twin Peaks: The Return, another great, immensely moving episode as we head towards the series’ home stretch.

Enjoy, and join our Patreon today to get access to Bonus Podcasts, Let’s Play gaming videos, and more!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:26
Stuff, including Best of the Summer Movie Season: 0:04:26 – 0:16:35
SNES Classic Debacle: 0:16:35 – 0:35:55
News: 0:35:55 – 1:13:05
Sonic Mania Review: 1:13:05 – 2:15:08
Twin Peaks Part 15: 2:15:08 – 3:18:16

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #203 – Hellblade, Sonic Mania, Nier Automata, Twin Peaks Part 14 & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 16 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0000

It’s a game review extravaganza on this week’s show, as we give a short pre-review of the wonderful Sonic Mania (full thoughts coming next week!), Jonathan gives his take on the outstanding and harrowing Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice from Ninja Theory, and we both dive into a belated spoiler-filled discussion of Nier: Automata, the game Jonathan foolishly complained about last week. We also, of course, discuss the latest episode of Twin Peaks: The Return, “Part 14,” easily one of the best episodes of this amazing series. And at the top of the show, Sean reviews some new Godzilla Blu-rays while Jonathan gives some quick thoughts on the DuckTales reboot on Disney XD.

Enjoy, and join our Patreon today to get access to our first Bonus Podcast, where we talk about the classic Doctor Who story “The Aztecs!”

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:25
Stuff: 0:03:25 – 0:32:17
Sonic Mania: 0:32:17 – 0:44:12
Hellblade: Senua’s Sacrifice: 0:44:12 – 0:58:08
Nier Automata: 0:58:08 – 2:01:25
Twin Peaks Part 14: 2:01:25 – 2:52:14

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #202 – Tacoma, Persona Announcements, Twin Peaks Part 13 & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 9 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0000

In this week’s packed episode, we cover a bunch of interesting news, including the announcement of three new Persona spin-off games, while Sean helps Jonathan work through his issues with the first ~15 hours of Nier Automata, and we answer a listener question in our first Patreon Q&A segment. And for our main topics, we review Tacoma, the new game from indie developer Fullbright (of Gone Home fame), and dive into the latest episode of Twin Peaks: The Return, another striking, mournful, zany installment in this amazing TV season. All this and more in an episode that probably has a little something for everyone.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:15
Nier Automata Game Therapy: 0:03:15 – 0:23:55
News: 0:23:55 – 0:52:10
Tacoma Review: 0:52:10 – 1:34:04
Patreon Q&A: 1:34:04 – 1:38:50
Twin Peaks Part 13: 1:38:50 – 2:29:06

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #201 – Game of Thrones, News Round-up, August Game Preview & Twin Peaks Part 12

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 2 Aug 2017 13:00:00 +0000

In our second podcast of the week, we clean up some odds and ends by talking about a bunch of recent news – including Nintendo shenanigans, Persona announcements, and more – Jonathan shares some thoughts on the ongoing 7th season of Game of Thrones, and we preview some of the games we’ll be talking about throughout the month of August, including Sonic Mania and Uncharted The Lost Legacy. And for our main topic, we dive into this week’s episode of Twin Peaks, “Part 12,” in which David Lynch gives us his own version of The X-Files, Dr. Jacobi continues his web crusade, and a certain fan-favorite returns in the weirdest way possible.

Enjoy, and remember to take a look at our awesome new Patreon page – if you pledge $10 or more by Friday, you’ll get the first 5 episodes of our new Let’s Play series at the end of the week, before they’re released to the public!

Join us on Patreon for great rewards, including Early Access!

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel!

Subscribe for free to 'The Weekly Stuff' in iTunes!

Follow Jonathan Lack on Twitter!

Follow Sean Chapman on Twitter!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #200 - Patreon Launch & Our Top 10 Favorite Films of All Time, 2017 Edition

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 31 Jul 2017 13:00:00 +0000

For our milestone 200th episode, we revisit the podcast’s very first topic and take a look forward to the future of the show. With 200 episodes in our rearview mirror, we have decided to expand, and as we explain on the show, this week we are launching a Patreon page – www.patreon.com/weeklystuffpodcast - where listeners can help us make the show bigger and better than ever before, as we expand to producing bonus episodes, Let’s Play gaming videos, and much more! We are so excited to announce this expansion of The Weekly Stuff brand, and we hope you’ll join us for the ride!

And for our main topic on this 200th episode, we present a new version of our respective Top 10 Favorite Films of All Time list, which we first presented on Episode #1 of the show. Now, five years later, we are older and wiser and altogether quite different, so how have our lists changed? What do our favorite films say about us? And just how many Japanese films can Sean and Jonathan talk about in one episode? All this and more in one of our favorite podcasts we’ve ever recorded. Thanks for helping us make the first 200 such a blast – and here’s to the next 200.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #199 – Comic-Con News, Splatoon 2, Planet of the Apes Trilogy, & Twin Peaks Part 11

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 26 Jul 2017 13:00:00 +0000

It’s a surprisingly jam-packed episode this week, as we get to talk about a slew of movies, games, and TV. First up is a boatload of news, movie trailers, and more out of San Diego Comic-Con, including more DC shenanigans and an incredible look at Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok. Then we talk some recent movies, with Jonathan reviewing Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk and Sean catching up on the recent Planet of the Apes trilogy, leading to a chat about all 3 films including War for the Planet of the Apes. Then we talk about 3 recent (and upcoming) games: last week’s beta for Destiny 2, Jonathan’s thoughts on Nintendo’s wildly fun Splatoon 2 for Nintendo Switch, and Sean’s reaction to the amazing Nier Automata released earlier this year. And finally, we head to Twin Peaks for our latest review of The Return with the casually insane Part 11, an episode chock full of guns, hell portals, and cherry pie.

Enjoy, and look forward to the special 200th episode coming early next week!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:46
Stuff: 0:03:46 – 0:21:10
Comic-Con & Other News: 0:21:10 – 1:09:30
Movies (Dunkirk & the new Planet of the Apes Trilogy): 1:09:30 – 1:43:18
Games (Destiny, Splatoon, & Nier Automata): 1:43:18 – 2:25:30
Twin Peaks Part 11: 2:25:30 – 3:19:13

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #198 - 13th Doctor Who Announcement, Destiny 2 Beta, and Twin Peaks Part 10

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 19 Jul 2017 13:00:00 +0000

This week brings with it some pretty monumental news, as we not only get to talk about the announcement of the 13th Doctor on Doctor Who, but that Jodie Whittaker will be the first woman to take up the iconic role. It’s a huge moment for the series, an exciting one that brings so many possibilities, some of which we ponder here. Sean also talks about the Destiny 2 beta, Jonathan looks back on the second season of Broadchurch (a show written by upcoming Doctor Who showrunner Chris Chibnall and co-starring upcoming Doctor Jodie Whittaker), and we break down a bunch of interesting news from the past week. And finally, we dive into the dark, wonderful, surprisingly sexual insanity of Twin Peaks: The Return Part 10 in our weekly spoiler-cast segment.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:37
Stuff: 0:01:37 – 0:17:32
Destiny 2 Beta: 0:17:32 – 0:32:10
13th Doctor Who Announcement: 0:32:10 – 1:10:43
News: 1:10:43 – 1:45:05
Twin Peaks Part 10: 1:45:05 – 2:41:33

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #197 - Reviewing Spider-Man Homecoming & Twin Peaks Part 9

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 12 Jul 2017 13:00:00 +0000

It’s been a long time coming, but we’re finally able to talk about another good Spider-Man movie with Spider-Man Homecoming, a wonderful addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe that is endlessly charming and fun, and a pitch-perfect representation of one of our favorite fictional characters. We offer a full spoiler review of the film, along with our continued thoughts on Twin Peaks: The Return, with the latest episode “Part 9.” And before we get to those main topics, Sean also gives some belated thoughts on Nier Automata, while Jonathan offers an early review of War for the Planet of the Apes and a late review of Baby Driver.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:34
Stuff: 0:01:34 – 0:12:00
Sean talks Nier Automata: 0:12:00 – 0:22:47
Jonathan talks War for the Planet of the Apes & Baby Driver: 0:22:47 – 0:42:18
Reviewing Spider-Man Homecoming: 0:42:18 – 1:50:33
Twin Peaks Part 9: 1:50:33 – 2:37:32

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #196 - Doctor Who Series 10 Finale Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Jul 2017 14:00:00 +0000

It’s an all Doctor Who all-the-time episode on the show this week, as this weekend saw the 10th series reach its dramatic conclusion with “The Doctor Falls,” an episode that instantly enters the show’s pantheon as an all-timer. On its own, the episode gave us plenty to talk about, but we also had to consider the hour in context of the season preceding it, discuss how well this season fared on the whole, think about where the show is going from here, and begin to close the book on this incredible Steven Moffat/Peter Capaldi era of the series. Doctor Who has always been and will always be one of our favorite topics, but it’s been a particularly fun run with Moffat and Capaldi at the helm, and while there’s still the Christmas special to go, “The Doctor Falls” made for one hell of a climax, more than worthy of devoting an entire podcast.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #195 - Doctor Who S10E11 & Twin Peaks Part 8 Reviews

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 14:00:00 +0000

It was a wild weekend for our two favorite TV shows of the moment, as Doctor Who aired an incredibly dark and surprising penultimate episode for its tenth season, and saying Twin Peaks delivered its strangest hour to date is somehow a gross understatement. Both episodes gave us a ton to talk about, making for a long episode filled with in-depth conversations. We also touch upon some recent news, such as more details about the fraught circumstances surrounding the Han Solo Star Wars movie and Nintendo’s announcement of the sure-to-be-frustratingly-scarce SNES Classic.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:24
Stuff: 0:05:24 – 0:13:10
News: 0:13:10 – 0:45:55
Doctor Who S10E11: 0:45:55 – 1:44:53
Twin Peaks Part 8: 1:44:53 – 3:12:17

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #194 – Wonder Woman, Doctor Who S10E10, Twin Peaks Part 7, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 21 Jun 2017 16:23:00 +0000

It’s a week jam-packed with spoiler discussions, as we get to talk about another great episode of Doctor Who – “The Eaters of Light,” easily one of the season’s best installments – and another wonderful chapter in the return of Twin Peaks – the unusually plot-heavy “Part 7” – alongside our belated discussion of Wonder Woman, which everyone on earth has probably seen at least once by now. It’s a movie worth diving into and exploring, and what was intended to be a quick chat turned into a long central topic. Jonathan also talks about his continued adventures exploring the past of The Legend of Zelda series, and we cover some recent news and developments, including the shocking firing of Chris Lord and Phil Miller from the Han Solo Star Wars movie.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:52
Jonathan’s Legend of Zelda Adventures: 0:05:52 – 0:27:30
News: 0:27:30 – 0:56:31
Wonder Woman: 0:56:31 – 1:43:07
Doctor Who S10E10: 1:43:07 – 2:15:31
Twin Peaks Part 7: 2:15:31 – 3:02:45

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #193 - E3 2017 Analysis Spectacular! Plus Doctor Who S10E9 & Twin Peaks Part 6

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 15:50:00 +0000

In our longest episode to date, we offer our fifth annual E3 in-depth analysis, where we go show-by-show, analyzing every announcement, preview, and detail revealed across the six press conferences at this year’s big gaming show. From Microsoft’s unveiling of the hilariously-named Xbox One X, to amazing trailers for games like Spider-Man and Wolfenstein II, to Nintendo’s day of surprises, we analyze all of it in perhaps excruciating detail. It’s one of our favorite episodes to record every year, and 2017 was no exception. And somehow, we still found time for our weekly reviews of Doctor Who and Twin Peaks, one of which was amazing and one of which was very, very ‘okay.’

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:33
News: 0:04:33 – 0:15:50
EA at E3: 0:15:50 – 0:47:55
Microsoft at E3: 0:47:55 – 1:54:11
Bethesda at E3: 1:54:11 – 2:07:20
Ubisoft at E3: 2:07:20 – 2:30:10
Sony at E3: 2:30:10 – 2:51:43
Nintendo at E3: 2:51:43 – 3:28:57
Doctor Who S10E9: 3:28:57 – 3:42:47
Twin Peaks Part 6: 3:42:47 – 4:14:58

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #192 – E3 Preview, Doctor Who S10E8, Twin Peaks Part 5, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 7 Jun 2017 16:59:00 +0000

In today’s packed show, we gear up for next week’s annual E3 extravaganza, making predictions and analyzing the state of Microsoft, Sony, Nintendo, and more heading into the big show. We cover a few other pieces of news, including Nintendo’s partial unveiling of their new online service, before diving into our big topics with spoiler-filled reviews of the latest Doctor Who episode, “The Lie of the Land,” and the new hour of David Lynch’s Twin Peaks revival, “Part 5.” Also discussed are Jonathan’s adventures watching Lynch’s insane 1984 Dune adaptation, Sean’s thoughts on a Japanese film classic, and much more!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:15
Stuff: 0:06:15 – 0:43:52
News and E3 Preview: 0:43:52 – 1:42:02
Doctor Who S10E8: 1:42:02 – 2:05:45
Twin Peaks Part 5: 2:05:45 – 2:35:57

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #191 – Doctor Who S10E7, Fire Emblem Echoes, and Grab Bag Topics

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 29 May 2017 17:08:00 +0000

In a slightly less busy week than usual here, we present our usual Doctor Who review in addition to a wide-ranging grab-bag of topics. From Jonathan’s continued thoughts on Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia and the end of Supergirl Season 2, to Sean discussing the latest Mobile Suit Gundam anime, to a tribute to the late, great Roger Moore, to mocking the new Spider-Man Homecoming poster, and a brief tribute to Star Wars on its 40th anniversary, the show lives up to its name this week by tackling a whole lot of stuff. And that’s before our weekly Doctor Who chat, in which we get to break down another entertaining, surprising, fascinating episode of a series working at the top of its game.

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:29
Fire Emblem Echoes Chat: 0:08:29 – 0:31:45
Jonathan talks Supergirl Season 2: 0:31:45 – 0:43:06
Sean talks Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans: 0:43:06 – 0:55:32
News: 0:55:32 – 1:35:52
Doctor Who S10E7: 1:35:52 – 2:21:18

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff BONUS - The Complete Persona 5 Spoiler-Casts

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 26 May 2017 16:16:00 +0000

It's time for a special bonus episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast! If you’ve been listening to the show for any length of time, you know that one of our favorite things to discuss is the Japanese RPG series Persona. So throughout the month of April, once Persona 5 was released in the US, we did big spoiler-chats on the podcast every week as we progressed through the game – talking about all the characters, story points, gameplay systems, and much more. We thought it would be fun for posterity’s sake to collect all these spoiler chats into one giant episode, either to make it easier for listeners to revisit in the future, or for those who haven’t played the game yet but might want to listen to our conversations one day. Plus, we thought it would be funny to release a giant 10-hour podcast and surprise everyone. In any case, we hope Persona fans find this fun and interesting and useful. Please refer to the time chart in the show notes to know where different parts of the discussion start and end. Each of the first four parts covers two Palaces or Story Arcs, and the final part gives some more general thoughts on the Confidants and the game’s story and themes in general.

Time Chart:

Intro: 00:00:00 – 00:01:41
Part 1 (Palaces 1 and 2): 00:01:41 – 02:51:39
Part 2 (Palaces 3 and 4): 02:51:39 – 04:11:51
Part 3 (Palaces 5 and 6): 04:11:51 – 06:21:36
Part 4 (Palaces 7 and 8 and ending): 06:21:36 – 08:32:03
Part 5 (Overall Thoughts): 08:32:03 – 10:26:43

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #190 – Twin Peaks Returns, Doctor Who S10E6, Fire Emblem Echoes, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 23 May 2017 16:22:00 +0000

It’s a fun, busy week on the show, as we get to talk about a ton of interesting, weird stuff. First, Jonathan shares his thoughts on the new Alien Covenant and the Alien franchise in general. Then, Jonathan and Sean dive into the week’s news, including the gameplay reveal of Destiny 2, Universal’s inexplicable unveiling of the so-called ‘Dark Universe,’ and more. For our main topics, Jonathan gives his first impressions of Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia for the Nintendo 3DS, and we both rave about the latest, strangest episode of Doctor Who, “Extremis.” And finally, we dive headfirst into the first four hours of Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival, and all the wonderful, weird, wild, hilarious, and horrifying material creators David Lynch and Mark Frost have dished out for us. Spoilers abound, so be sure to see the episodes before listening!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:11:03
Jonathan’s Alien Adventures: 0:11:03 – 0:33:46
News: 0:33:46 – 0:59:09
Fire Emblem Echoes Impressions: 0:59:09 – 1:15:45
Doctor Who S10E6 Review: 1:15:45 – 1:50:15
Twin Peaks Review: 1:50:15 – 3:22:45

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #189 – Twin Peaks Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 18 May 2017 19:00:00 +0000

On the second podcast of the week, we finally deliver our long-promised Twin Peaks retrospective. With the show returning a full 25 years later for a new 18-episode run this weekend, we thought it high time to finally dive into one of our favorite TV series of all time and, by extension, into the wonderful world of the great David Lynch. We discuss the entire TV series, talk about our favorite characters, revisit our favorite episodes, count down the 10 stupidest subplots from the back half of Season 2, journey into the heart of darkness that is Fire Walk With Me, and even provide some great quotes from David Lynch and company on the production and philosophy of the series. It’s as comprehensive a conversation as we could provide within one episode, and sets us up well to talk about the revival when it debuts this weekend. And candidly speaking, it’s one of my very favorite episodes we’ve ever had the chance to record. So grab yourself a slice of cherry pie and a damn fine cup of coffee, and enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #188 – Logan Noir, Hitman News, and Doctor Who S10E5

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 18 May 2017 00:48:00 +0000

It’s a two-podcast (and slightly belated) week here on the show, as we’re offering one episode today and another later this week. On today’s show, we talk the new black-and-white version of Logan, ‘Logan Noir’, Sean continues his journey through ancient Chinese novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, we break down the unfortunate news about Hitman developed IO Interactive, and most importantly, we dive into the latest episode of Doctor Who, “Oxygen.” It’s the best and most significant episode of the season so far, a season that, just five episodes in, has pretty firmly established itself as one of the modern show’s best. Enjoy, and join us again later this week for our long-awaited Twin Peaks retrospective podcast!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #187 – Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2 Review, Doctor Who S10E4 & Persona 5 Wrap-Up

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 9 May 2017 16:40:00 +0000

In what might be our longest episode ever, we offer three big spoiler chats. First up is Guardains of the Galaxy Vol. 2, the latest film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and one of their best, most entertaining sequels to date. Next is this week’s episode of Doctor Who, “Knock Knock,” in which the show tries on a genuine horror setting and produces perhaps the best episode of the season so far (and prompts Sean to make a lot of Knock Knock joke puns). And finally, it’s time for one last (for now) Persona 5 discussion, as we move past our story spoiler-chats to offer an overview of the game as a whole, putting at least a temporary cap on our thoughts about this wonderful game.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:07:32
Stuff: 0:07:32 – 0:35:42
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2: 0:35:42 – 1:25:47
Doctor Who S10E4: 1:25:47 – 1:59:45
Persona 5: 1:59:45 – 3:55:35

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #186 – Persona 5 Spoiler-Chat Part 4, Doctor Who S10E3 Review, Mario Kart 8, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 May 2017 16:34:00 +0000

In one of our longest episodes ever, we tackle a wide variety of topics, from Jonathan’s thoughts on Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and PuyoPuyo Tetris, to Sean’s adventures getting into the wide world of Dragon Quest. We discuss some news, including Nintendo’s surprise announcement of the New 2DS XL. And for our main topics, we discuss the third episode of the new Doctor Who season, “Thin Ice,” and offer our fourth spoiler-chat on Persona 5, including everything through the very end of the game – so if you haven’t finished Persona 5 yet, you might want to hold off on listening to that stretch of today’s podcast. It’ll be waiting for you when you’re done, and there is so much to discuss with this stupendous game, making for some of our richest podcast conversations ever.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:06:42
Stuff: 0:06:42 – 0:52:29
News: 0:52:29 – 1:11:00
Doctor Who: 1:11:00 – 1:35:20
Persona 5: 1:35:20 – 3:45:24

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #185 – Persona 5 Spoiler-Chat 3, Doctor Who S10E2 Review, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 24 Apr 2017 17:29:00 +0000

Our adventures in the wonderful Persona 5 continue this week, as we offer our third spoiler-filled chat on the game, with thoughts and analysis on the fifth and sixth palaces/story arcs in the game (along with some responses to recent media kerfuffles over translation issues in the English release). Before that, though, we have several other topics, including our review of this week’s Doctor Who, “Smile,” and reactions to news on Call of Duty, Avatar, X-Men, and more.

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:16
Stuff: 0:10:16 – 0:30:15
News: 0:30:15 – 1:03:35
Doctor Who: 1:03:35 – 1:31:48
Persona 5: 1:31:48 – 3:32:19

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #184 – Doctor Who Premiere (S10E1), Persona 5 Spoiler Talk Part 2, Star Wars Teaser and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Apr 2017 16:42:00 +0000

The ludicrously busy month of April kicks into high gear as Doctor Who returns after a year-and-a-half since its last regular season episode, with a new companion in tow. We give our spoiler-filled thoughts on the first episode, cheekily titled “The Pilot,” as we always do when it comes to Doctor Who. But that’s only a third of this week’s episode, as we also have a mountain of news to discuss – including movie trailers like Thor Ragnarok and Star Wars: The Last Jedi, alongside some strange Nintendo news – and more of Persona 5 to dive into. Now roughly 50 hours into the game, our second Persona 5 spoiler-chat covers the third and fourth Palaces/Story arcs of the game, as this amazing game only gets richer and more rewarding with each passing hour.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:
Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:40
Stuff: 0:02:40 – 0:31:30
News: 0:31:30 – 1:20:26
Doctor Who: 1:20:26 – 2:06:30
Persona 5: 2:06:30 – 3:26:13

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #183 – Persona 5 First Impressions and Spoiler Chat

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 15:21:00 +0000

After years of waiting, it is finally time – Persona 5 has arrived stateside, which means we can finally dive in deep with the next entry in our favorite video game series. We touch on a few pieces of gaming news – including Mass Effect Andromeda controversies and the newly unveiled Xbox Scorpio specs – before devoting the majority of the show to Persona 5. It’s not quite ‘first’ impressions – Sean, after all, played this game in Japanese last year, and has been patiently waiting to talk about it, while I’ve already sunk a solid 30 hours in – but we give our thoughts on all the basics, from the art to the music to the gameplay. And we restrict our first ‘spoiler-chat’ on the game to the first two Palaces (or story arcs) in the game, so if you’ve played that far, we don’t spoil anything else from later. Our Persona 5 conversations will only continue from here of course, but we’ve already got a lot to go over – and we couldn’t be happier to finally be talking about it.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #182: What are the best video games? Plus more Zelda talk, Specter Knight, Movie News, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Apr 2017 14:40:00 +0000

After a week off, we’re back with an extra-long episode clearing the deck before Persona 5 launches around the world this week – and commences to overwhelm our podcast in the weeks to come. Jonathan and Sean both chat about what they’ve been up to lately, Jonathan shares more thoughts on the Nintendo Switch – including games like Snake Pass, the Splatoon 2 testfire, and Shovel Knight and its latest expansion, Specter Knight – and we talk recent movie news like superhero trailers and Joss Whedon apparently making a Batgirl movie. Then we have three main topics for you this week – first, there’s more spoiler-chat with The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and second, we ask the important question, “What are the best video games ever made?” and force ourselves to each pick 5 that represent our critical tastes in gaming. And finally, we spend a few minutes talking about our hopes and dreams for the Persona 5 launch, with Sean – who played the game in Japanese last year – giving a few spoiler-free pointers to those about to enjoy the game. As he says – appreciate the bass.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #181 – Mass Effect Andromeda Impressions, More Zelda Talk, Beauty and the Beast, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 12:00:00 +0000

Our very busy Spring continues with another grab bag style episode, as Jonathan shares his impressions from the first hours of Mass Effect Andromeda and opinion on Disney’s smash hit Beauty and the Beast remake, and, for our main topic, we dive in even deeper to the wonderful world of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Sean has finally had the chance to start playing it, so there’s a lot to break down, including points where he and Jonathan disagree on the game’s effectiveness. Other topics covered include continued Nintendo Switch impressions and a list of Jonathan jumping on an internet bandwagon to share his favorite films from every year of his life.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #180 – Grab Bag! More Switch, Zelda, Horizon, and Persona Chats

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 14 Mar 2017 15:34:00 +0000

We may be a day late this week, but we make up for it with a podcast jam-packed with topics and featuring, for the first time in a long while, a special guest! Jonathan’s brother Thomas joins us to follow up on our discussions about the Nintendo Switch and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and chats with us about his recent discovery of Persona 3 at the end of the show (just in case you haven’t gotten your Persona 3 fix from us in a while). Meanwhile, Sean gives his thoughts on Horizon Zero Dawn after finishing the game, and we also talk a little about the insanely fun Kong: Skull Island. It’s a fun, varied, grab-bag style episode, and we think you’re really going to enjoy it.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #179 – Reviewing James Mangold’s “Logan”

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 8 Mar 2017 13:03:00 +0000

In our second podcast of the week, we take an in-depth look at James Mangold’s outstanding superhero drama Logan, the last film to feature Hugh Jackman’s iconic performance as Wolverine. We think this is, simply put, one of the best films the genre has offered to date, a thoughtful, emotional, and surprisingly timely film that breaks most every rule in the Hollywood blockbuster playbook. There’s a lot to break down, especially considering that Logan essentially marks the end of an era that stretches all the way back to 2000, when Jackman first played the role. Spoilers aplenty in this episode, so be sure to see the movie first.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #178 – Nintendo Switch, Zelda Breath of the Wild, & Horizon Zero Dawn Impressions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 Mar 2017 16:41:00 +0000

It’s a very busy week, so we’re releasing two podcasts this time around – one today, and an extra one on Wednesday, in which we will be reviewing James Mangold’s outstanding superhero drama Logan in depth. Today’s episode, though, is all about video games – as in the span of one week we got the latest major PS4 exclusive, Horizon Zero Dawn, a brand new console in the Nintendo Switch, and the long-awaited The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That’s a lot of cool stuff to sift through for one week, and we offer impressions on all of it – spoiler-free, of course! – with Sean’s thoughts on Horizon and Jonathan’s take on the Switch and Zelda.

Enjoy, and come back Wednesday for our episode with spoiler-filled thoughts on Logan!

Time Chart:

Intro & Stuff: 0:00:00 – 0:17:00
Horizon Zero Dawn Impressions: 0:17:00 – 0:55:31
Nintendo Switch Impressions: 0:55:31 – 1:37:39
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Impressions: 1:37:39 – 2:19:58

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #177 – Zelda Retrospective, Ranking Nintendo Consoles, and so much more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 14:30:00 +0000

In a packed grab-bag style episode, Sean and Jonathan tackle a variety of topics, from a Nintendo Switch pre-release news roundup to Xbox One complaints, another round of Sean’s Beta Corner, and so much more! For our first main topic, we prepare for the release of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with a retrospective of our experiences with the Zelda series and thoughts on how it’s evolved over the years. And for our second topic, we prepare for the launch of the Switch by ranking all of Nintendo’s home and mobile consoles – all 10 to 12 of them, depending on where you stand on a very silly argument between Jonathan and Sean – from worst (spoiler: it’s the Virtual Boy) to best (spoiler: it’s exactly what you think it is…hopefully there are some surprises in between).

Enjoy, and come back next week for our impressions of the Nintendo Switch, Zelda, Logan, Horizon Zero Dawn, and more!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #176 - Reviewing John Wick 2, Lego Batman, Gravity Rush 2, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 13 Feb 2017 16:18:00 +0000

In a particularly eclectic episode, Sean and Jonathan review a wide variety of content. Sean gives his final thoughts on the amazing Yakuza 0 for PS4, while Jonathan talks about the insightful hilarity of The Lego Batman Movie. Then it’s time for two in-depth spoiler chats, as we break down the incredible set-pieces and awe-inspiring visuals of the outstanding John Wick Chapter 2 and revisit Gravity Rush 2 for an detailed look at the crazy, unique, and surprisingly powerful story.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #175 – Peter Capaldi’s Doctor Who Departure and Wii U/3DS Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 Feb 2017 15:00:00 +0000

This week brings us our first Doctor Who topic of the year – albeit not one we hoped to talk about for quite some time. 12th Doctor Peter Capaldi has elected to leave the show at the end of 2017, and as he’s given us one of the greatest performances to ever grace the series, it’s a real bummer, even as it makes the show’s uncertain future more exciting than ever. We also talk a little bit more about Gravity Rush 2, Sean shares some thoughts on Yakuza 0 and Fire Emblem Heroes, and we talk some recent film and gaming news. And for our second topic, we do a mini-retrospective of Nintendo’s Wii U, which ended production worldwide this week, and an even smaller retrospective of the 3DS, which is still going strong, as we prepare to welcome the Nintendo Switch next month.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #174 – Gravity Rush 2 Spoiler-Free Impressions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 16:47:00 +0000

This week, Sean and Jonathan try to move ahead talking about silly things despite the rapid fall of Western civilization, with updates on Jonathan’s New Game Plus run of Persona 4 Golden, Sean’s thoughts on ‘something’ and Westworld, and their reactions to two weeks worth of film and gaming news, including the death of the great John Hurt and more announcements from Nintendo. And for our main topic, we give spoiler-free impressions of the incredible Gravity Rush 2, out this month on PS4. As big fans of the original game, this sequel blew our expectations out of the water, and there is a lot to break down – with a lot left to talk about when do a more spoiler-filled discussion in the future.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #173 – Nintendo Switch Event, A Series of Unfortunate Events, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Jan 2017 15:30:00 +0000

The biggest story of the week was undoubtedly Nintendo’s full unveiling of their new Nintendo Switch console, which is arriving under two months from now. Sean and Jonathan break down everything from the event, including everything we know about the hardware, all the announced games, the overall presentation, and more, giving our (fairly different) thoughts on how Nintendo’s showing did or did not excite us for the upcoming launch. We also talk a little bit about some recent gaming experiences and Jonathan reviews Netflix’s outstanding adaptation of Lemony Snicket’s A Series of Unfortunate Events, which debuted its first season this Friday.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #172 – Holiday Stories, News Grab Bag, and Doctor Who & Sherlock Reviews

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 10 Jan 2017 16:22:00 +0000

For our first episode of the new year – our sixth year of the podcast – we begin with a grab bag of topics, from Sean’s adventures with Dynasty Warriors 8 and a centuries-old Chinese novel, to Jonathan’s return journey to Inaba replaying Persona 4. We discuss the tragic deaths of Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds, as well as more frivolous news including new details on Mass Effect Andromeda and Showtime’s Twin Peaks revival. And for our main topics, we give spoiler-filled reviews of the wonderful Doctor Who Christmas Special, “The Return of Doctor Mysterio,” and the absolutely dreadful Sherlock season premiere, “The Six Thatchers.”

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #171 – The Top 10 Video Games of 2016

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 23 Dec 2016 16:00:00 +0000

For our final episode of 2016, we’ve devoted an entire extra-length show to counting down our Top 10 Video Games of 2016. In all the time we’ve been covering gaming, we have never seen a year like this, a year with such depth and such breadth that both Sean and I struggled mightily whittling our respective lists down to just 10 titles – and only had four game total crossing over between our lists. We talk about every game on our countdowns in detail, offer some ‘honorable mention’ awards to those that didn’t make the cut, and designate some superlatives to the best music, graphics, performances, and characters of the year in gaming. 2016 may have been a horrible year in many ways, but when it game to video games, there was greatness as far as the eye could see – so it seems wholly appropriate to devote our last show of the year to putting all those creative achievements in perspective.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #170 - Rogue One, Infinite Warfare, The Last Guardian, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 15:00:00 +0000

In our penultimate episode of 2016, Sean and Jonathan talk about several new and recent games in depth, including The Last Guardian, Thumper, and most importantly Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, for which we devote a full spoiler discussion. It makes for a surprisingly nice complement with our main topic this week, which is breaking down Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a movie that does many good and interesting things, but also falls flat in ways Infinite Warfare, which tells a similar story, instead manages to soar. Forza Horizon 3 DLC and some other December game updates round out another busy week.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #169 - Final Fantasy XV Final Review & Analysis

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Dec 2016 16:49:00 +0000

This week, we talk about a few random topics – Jonathan complains about the packaging for Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare and extols the wonders of Terrence Malick’s Voyage of Time – and cover some recent pieces of film and gaming news – including the trailer for Spider-Man Homecoming and recent reports about the Nintendo Switch – before diving into our final, full review and analysis of Final Fantasy XV. We talked in spoiler-free terms last week, largely about the open-world portion of the game, but now it’s time to go in depth with the story, characters, and controversial second half. Jonathan loves it, but Sean has reservations – even though he can’t stop playing it either. Spoilers abound, so if you plan on playing the game and don’t want story revelations revealed, stick to last week’s episode for now.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #168 – Final Fantasy XV Spoiler-Free Impressions, Plus Game Awards and PSX

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Dec 2016 16:30:00 +0000

On this week’s show, we dive into a slew of trailers and announcements from two major gaming events of the past week – the Game Awards and the PlayStation Experience – breaking down everything from The Last of Us Part II announcement to the joyous insanity of Hideo Kojima’s latest Death Stranding tease. And after the news, we give our spoiler-free first impressions of one of the year’s biggest releases, Final Fantasy XV. It’s been a long road to finally be playing this game – it was announced, as Final Fantasy Versus XIII, when Sean and I were in middle-school – and now that it’s here, it’s safe to say this is one of the most singular and unique games we have ever played. This chat is spoiler-free, and we’ll be back next week to go more in-depth with the story, so feel free to listen if you haven’t yet picked up the game.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:10:03
Jonathan talks Mad Max: Fury Road – Black & Chrome Edition: 0:10:03 – 0:23:56
Game Awards and PSX News: 0:23:56 – 1:26:20
Final Fantasy XV: 1:26:20 – 3:09:15

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #167 – November Game Review Extravaganza! Pokemon, Call of Duty, Titanfall, Dishonored, & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 28 Nov 2016 16:32:00 +0000

We’re back from the Thanksgiving break with an absolutely packed, absurdly long episode in which we review no less than eight – count ‘em, eight – new video games from the past two months. Going back and forth, Sean reviews Call of Duty Infinite Warfare, Dishonored 2, XCOM 2, and Titanfall 2, while Jonathan reviews Pokemon Sun and Moon, Dragon Ball Fusions, and gives more thoughts on Skyrim Special Edition, while both Jonathan and Sean tell more stories from the wonderful world of Hitman. Throw in some quick movie discussions – Arrival and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them – and a slew of movie trailers to discuss and make fun of, and you have one of our longest episodes ever, clearing the deck for the busy final weeks of 2016.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:00
Jonathan talks Arrival, Fantastic Beasts, and Gilmore Girls: 0:03:00 – 0:29:15
Persona 5 Delay News: 0:29:15 – 0:36:10
Movie Trailer Round-up: 0:36:10 – 1:07:05
Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Review: 1:07:05 – 1:25:19
Skyrim Special Edition Follow-up: 1:25:19 – 1:33:50
XCOM 2 Review: 1:33:50 – 1:52:39
Hitman Follow-up: 1:52:39 – 2:08:48
Dishonored 2 Review: 2:08:48 – 2:26:50
Dragon Ball Fusions Review: 2:26:50 – 2:54:34
Titanfall 2 Review: 2:54:34 – 3:14:55
Pokemon Sun and Moon Review: 3:14:55 – 3:45:23

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #166 - Reviewing Doctor Strange, Hitman, Skyrim Special Edition & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 Nov 2016 16:00:00 +0000

We get back into our regular routine with something of a catch-up episode, as Sean talks about finishing the Japanese release of Persona 5, Jonathan offers his thoughts on the recently released Skyrim Special Edition, and we both work our way through a few interesting news items. We review Marvel’s latest film, Doctor Strange, which is, to put it simply, a hell of a thing, and a lot of fun to talk about. And finally, we give our impressions of the sixth and final episode of Hitman Season One, along with some brief thoughts on this wonderful experiment in episodic assassination, now that’s come, for now, to a close.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #165 - We Need To Talk About America

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 11 Nov 2016 16:34:00 +0000

Well, here is an episode we never expected to record.

But then again, we never expected our country to elect a racist, misogynist, fascist reality TV star as President. The world has been deeply shaken by what happened this week, and while this is not a political or current events podcast – and will not transform into one – Sean and I felt we could not ignore what just happened on our first episode back.

So on this week’s episode, we talk about it. We talk about the election, how it makes us feel, why we are scared, and what we are doing to cope. We talk through it all because we needed to get it off our chests – and at the end, we try to find some hope by discussing things we’re thankful for and things we’re looking forward to, both big and small.

We will be back again on Monday to our normal schedule, with another episode (already recorded) in which we discuss Doctor Strange, Hitman Episode 6, and much more. But for now, in this special episode, we need to talk about America.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #164 – Nintendo Switch Analysis, Red Dead Redemption 2, Logan Trailer & More

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 24 Oct 2016 15:01:00 +0000

What seemed like it would be a slow week seven days ago turned out to be rather crazy, as Rockstar announced Red Dead Redemption 2, tons of intriguing movie trailers and gaming news dropped, and most importantly, Nintendo suddenly unveiled their long-awaited new console, the Nintendo Switch. We spend a lot of time analyzing all of these developments, especially the Switch, easily one of the most intriguing project Nintendo has undertaken in over a decade. What excites us about the new console, and what questions do we still want answered? All this and more makes for a busy, analysis-filled episode.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro & Jonathan talks Hamilton: 0:00:00 – 0:11:54
Sean Talks Persona 5: 0:11:54 – 0:17:58
Jonathan talks Pokemon Sun & Moon Demo: 0:17:58 – 0:24:30
Jonathan talks Gears of 4 Horde: 0:24:30 – 0:38:06
Assorted News: 0:38:06 – 1:39:48
Nintendo Switch Analysis: 1:39:48 – 2:47:53

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #163 – Reviewing Gears of War 4 & Shin Godzilla

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Oct 2016 15:00:00 +0000

Shin Godzilla is the first Toho-produced Godzilla film in twelve years, and it’s been one of our most anticipated films of 2016. Now it’s finally here, and we have lots of thoughts on what is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and unique films we’ve seen this or any other year. We review the film in full spoiler terms in the back half of the show, and before that, Jonathan talks more about the surprisingly delightful Paper Mario: Color Splash and the terrific second-season premiere of the CW’s Supergirl, while Sean continues his journey through the Japanese release of Persona 5 and shares thoughts on the pre-release beta of Dragon Ball: Xenoverse. And after both of us discuss this weekend’s Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare beta, Jonathan reviews the campaign of Gears of War 4, which is…okay. We elaborate from there. But the main attraction is definitely Shin Godzilla, and if you have a chance to see this film in theatres, you absolutely should.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:24
Jonathan talks Paper Mario: Color Splash: 0:05:24 – 0:16:00
Jonathan talks Supergirl and The Flash: 0:16:00 – 0:27:27
Sean talks Persona 5 and Dragon Ball Xenoverse 2: 0:27:27 – 0:39:20
Thoughts on the Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare Beta: 0:39:20 – 0:49:50
Gears of War 4 Impressions: 0:49:50 – 1:17:25
Reviewing Shin Godzilla: 1:17:25 – 2:43:47

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #162 – Godzilla Retrospective Spectacular! Plus Persona 5, Paper Mario Color Splash, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Oct 2016 15:00:00 +0000

Before we dive into one of the longest-promised topics in the history of this podcast, we follow up on our cliffhanger from last week, as Sean reveals he’s been playing Persona 5 in Japanese, and shares some (spoiler-free) thoughts on a game we are all very excited for. Meanwhile, Jonathan offers his first impressions of the surprisingly wonderful Paper Mario: Color Splash for the Wii U, and Sean and Jonathan go through some recent movie, gaming, and TV news items. And for our main topic, we finally offer an in-depth retrospective of the beloved Godzilla franchise, just in time for the American release of Shin Godzilla, the first new film in the franchise from Toho in 12 years. Sean, a lifelong Godzilla aficionado, counts down all 28 films in the franchise – yes, you read that right, all 28 – as we explore the history of one of cinema’s most enduring icons.

Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro and Sean’s (Spoiler-Free) Persona 5 Thoughts: (0:00:00 – 0:25:08)
Jonathan Talks Paper Mario: Color Splash: (0:25:08 – 0:45:35)
News: (0:45:35 – 1:21:50)
Godzilla Retrospective Spectacular!: (1:21:50 – 3:33:08)

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #161 – Reviewing Forza Horizon 3, Virginia, and Hitman Episode 5

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Oct 2016 15:00:00 +0000

This week’s episode begins with a trip to the past, as Jonathan talks about filling some gaps in his Mario knowledge by playing Super Mario Land and Super Mario World. And then, after some brief news items – including reports on Destiny 2, some Nintendo news, and an update on Stardew Valley – Sean and Jonathan dive into a slew of game reviews, from the incredible new racing game Forza Horizon 3, to the recently released fifth episode of Hitman, and finally the extremely discussion-worthy indie game Virginia.

Enjoy, and join us next week for our long-promised Godzilla retrospective episode!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #160 – Movie Reviews, ReCore & Virginia Impressions, and Destiny: Rise of Iron Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Sep 2016 15:30:00 +0000

On this week’s show, Jonathan reviews some recent movies in Oliver Stone’s Snowden and Clint Eastwood’s Sully – both excellent, if very different, takes on modern real-world subjects – while Sean dives into gaming’s past to recount his recent experience playing the Dreamcast classic Shenmue in its original Japanese. Jonathan offers his final, complicated thoughts on ReCore for the Xbox One, as well as an initial impression of the new indie game Virginia (more on that next week!). And finally, after going through some stray bits of news, Sean and Jonathan offer impressions on Destiny: Rise of Iron, the latest expansion for the shared-world shooter that just keeps getting better and better.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #159 – Kingsglaive, ReCore, PS4 Pro Analysis, and Gamecube 15th Anniversary Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 15 Sep 2016 15:44:00 +0000

It’s another grab-bag style week as Sean and Jonathan talk about various bits of media – including Kingsglaive, the Final Fantasy XV tie-in movie, and ReCore, the new exclusive for Xbox One – before diving into some news and analyzing Sony’s recent unveiling of the PlayStation 4 Pro. Did their announcement truly clarify the confusion around this mysterious project, and what does this mean for the future of gaming? And for our final topic, we look back to gaming’s past by offering a retrospective of the Nintendo Gamecube, which celebrated its 15th anniversary on September 14th. What are our favorite games and memories from this weird little purple box?

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #158 - Grab Bag! News, Movie Reviews, Remembering Gene Wilder, Titanfall 2 Beta, & No Man's Sky Kerfuffles

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 6 Sep 2016 15:49:00 +0000

In one of the grab-baggiest grab-bag episodes we ever done, we recount two weeks of news and experience, starting with the death of Gene Wilder, a beloved actor who has certainly done plenty to shape both of our perceptions of cinema. Jonathan and Sean each talk about some video games they’ve been playing – including _Hitman, Stardew Valley, _and _The Banner Saga _– while Jonathan reviews some recent (and less-recent) movies, including _Don’t Breathe, Southside with You, Hell or High Water, _and _The Nice Guys. _For our first big topic, we break down the recent _Titanfall 2 _beta, which basically took a great foundation from _Titanfall 1, _threw it out the window, and replaced it with nothing but confusion and boredom. And after recapping some news, we finish the podcast with a second topic, in which we use the recent _No Man’s Sky _kerfuffles to discuss the media landscape at large.

**TIME CHART: **

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:05:05

Remembering Gene Wilder: 0:05:05 – 0:17:57

Jonathan talks _Stardew Valley _and _Banner Saga: _0:17:57 – 0:34:15

Sean talks _Hitman: _0:34:15 – 0:52:45

Jonathan talks movies (_Don’t Breathe, Southside with You, Hell or High Water, _and The Nice Guys): 0:52:45 – 1:24:19

Sean and Jonathan talk _Nioh _and _Battlefield 1 _Betas: 1:24:19 – 1:32:34

_Titanfall 2 _Beta Discussion: 1:32:34 – 2:27:52

News Round-up: 2:27:52 – 3:02:46

_No Man’s Sky _Kerfuffles: 3:02:46 – 3:34:52

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #157 - Reviewing Persona 3 The Movie #4 – Winter of Rebirth

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Aug 2016 15:33:00 +0000

If you’ve listened to us for any length of time, you’ll know that our favorite video game here at the _Weekly Stuff _is _Persona 3. _You’ll also know that, as the four-part anime film adaptation has been coming out in Japan over the past three years, we’ve devoted an entire episode to each new installment – and now, with the fourth and final movie in the series, _Winter of Rebirth, _finally available on home video, it’s time for our final review. We dive in great depth not only into this final film itself, but also to the series as a whole, and how vastly it has surpassed whatever expectations we initially had. _Persona 3 _was, is, and shall always be a great game – but this four-part film series has, miraculously, earned a place on the shelf alongside it, something that is a welcome surprise indeed.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #156 – News Round-up, Suicide Squad Review, and Discussing No Man’s Sky

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 16 Aug 2016 19:39:00 +0000

This week starts with Jonathan talking about his unexpected journey with the now 15-year-old _Final Fantasy X, _and Sean continuing his assassination adventures with _Hitman, _before we dive into some recent news, such as the passing of _Star Wars’ _Kenny Baker and the delay (now confirmed) of _Final Fantasy XV. _Then, for our main topics, we review _Suicide Squad _– or, at least, Jonathan despairs over the movie while Sean remains glad he was never stupid enough to go watch it – and discuss _No Man’s Sky, _the game that everybody in the world seems to be talking about, but perhaps for the wrong reasons.

Time Chart

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:45

Jonathan talks _Final Fantasy X: _0:08:45 – 0:31:30

Sean talks _Hitman: _0:31:30 – 0:40:35

News round-up: 0:40:35_ – _1:06:50

_Suicide Squad _PTSD flashbacks: 1:06:50 – 2:15:30

Discussing No Man’s Sky: 2:15:30 – 3:08:20

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #155 – Reviewing Jason Bourne, Talking NX Rumors, DC Shenanigans, and lots more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 4 Aug 2016 15:05:00 +0000

This week is a bit of a grab-bag, as our main topic involves our spoiler-filled review of Jason Bourne – a disappointing and frustrating sequel that is nevertheless interesting to talk about – but we have a solid two hours of other assorted conversations before we reach that point. I talk about a few video games I’ve been playing recently – including I am Setsuna, Stardew Valley, and Abzu – while Sean talks about his experiences with the new episodic Hitman; I review the new Harry Potter story, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and both of us talk about DC’s disastrous Killing Joke movie and the negative hype surrounding the upcoming Suicide Squad. And finally, we break down the latest reports about Nintendo’s upcoming NX system, and whether this sounds like a good direction for the company to take.

Enjoy!

Time Chart:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:08:18

Jonathan talks Video Games, including I am Setsuna and Abzu: 0:08:18 – 0:29:08

Sean talks Hitman: 0:29:08 – 0:40:00

Sean talks Stranger Things: 0:40:00 – 0:51:02

Jonathan talks Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: 0:51:02 – 1:05:52

Batman: The Killing Joke Discussion: 1:05:52 – 1:26:17

Suicide Squad Shenanigans: 1:26:17 – 1:47:10

Nintendo NX Reports: 1:47:10 – 2:00:02

Reviewing Jason Bourne: 2:00:02 – 2:45:38

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #154 - The Jason Bourne Trilogy Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 27 Jul 2016 13:00:00 +0000

With Jason Bourne, the new entry in the beloved action franchise starring Matt Damon and directed by Paul Greengrass, arriving in theatres this Friday, we thought now the best time to take a look back at the original Jason Bourne trilogy: The Bourne Identity, The Bourne Supremacy, and The Bourne Ultimatum. These are some of the best, most innovative, and most influential films of the 2000s, an action trilogy that surpasses just about every other major Hollywood franchise of this era, and which seems even more prescient and ahead-of-its-time now than it did nine years ago, when the last film was released. We discuss each film in depth, diving into the story, characters, technical mastery, and fascinating historical context, in what is easily one of my favorite podcasts we’ve ever recorded.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #153 - Comic-Con News Round-up, Ghostbusters, & Star Trek Beyond Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 15:16:00 +0000

In the first of two podcasts this week, we break down a bunch of news out of Comic-Con – including announcements and trailers from Marvel and DC – and Jonathan offers some thoughts on the new _Ghostbusters _movie (it’s great!) and the new PS4 JRPG, _I am Setsuna _(it’s also great!). Then, for our main topic, we review this weekend’s major new release, _Star Trek Beyond, _a strong return to form after the franchise went a little off the rails with _Star Trek Into Darkness. _

Enjoy, and come back on Wednesday as we prepare for the release of _Jason Bourne _with a retrospective of the original _Bourne _trilogy!

**Time Chart: **

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:04:15

Jonathan talks _Ghostbusters: _0:04:15 – 0:16:21

Sean talks _Godzilla: _0:16:21 – 0:20:10

Jonathan talks I am Setsuna: 0:20:10 – 0:34:08

Comic-Con News: 0:34:08 – 1:26:00

_Star Trek Beyond: _1:26:00 – 2:02:18

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #152 - Reviewing 'Inside,' Talking Pokemon Go, and Celebrating Star Trek's 50th Anniversary

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Jul 2016 15:47:00 +0000

We’re back with a jam-packed episode, as Sean and I offer some thoughts on recent games like Lego Star Wars: The Force Awakens, or games that are just new to us, like Dishonored, while Jonathan recounts his continued adventures re-watching all of Dragon Ball Z. Later, we try to get our heads around the unprecedented phenomenon that is Pokemon Go, and offer a spoiler-filled review and discussion of Playdead’s outstanding indie game Inside. And finally, with a new Star Trek film upon us and the franchise’s 50th anniversary being marked this year, we offer a Star Trek retrospective, discussing our favorite things about the TV series before counting down all 12 theatrical films from worst to best.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #151 – 2016 Mid-year Review Spectacular! (Fixed)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sat, 16 Jul 2016 00:16:00 +0000

With six months of 2016 now behind us, it’s a good time to take stock of the year so far – and while it’s been a rough year for humanity in general, it’s been a pretty phenomenal year for video games, and in some ways, we’ve barely even gotten started! What have been our favorite games so far this year? Movies? TV shows? We talk about all of it, and look forward to what we’re most excited for in the back-half of the year. And before the main topic, Jonathan recounts his continued experiences rewatching _Dragon Ball Z, _his final thoughts on _Kirby: Planet Robobot, _and his review of Playdead’s stellar new indie masterpiece _Inside _for the Xbox One, while Sean has finally gone back to catch up with _Dishonored _on the PS4.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #150 – Celebrating the Nintendo 64 at 20 and Sonic the Hedgehog at 25

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 27 Jun 2016 16:15:00 +0000

In our 150th episode of the podcast, we take a trip down memory lane to celebrate the 20thanniversary of the Nintendo 64 and the 25th anniversary of Sonic the Hedgehog. The N64 was a formative console for both of us, containing some of the greatest games ever made – but also arriving with some major flaws that would prove a sea change for Nintendo. Breaking down its history and impact makes for a fascinating conversation. Sonic the Hedgehog has perhaps an even more complex and convoluted history, given the sheer gap in quality between his best and worst games, but it’s safe to say that if it weren’t for the blue hedgehog, neither of us would be into games the way we are today, and as we look at Sonic’s best and worst moments, it’s hard to feel anything other than overall fondness for Sonic and his strange group of friends. Discussion of Pixar’s Finding Dory, Nintendo’s Kirby: Planet Robobot, and The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine rounds out the episode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #149– E3 2016 Analysis Spectacular! Discussing all the news from Sony, Microsoft, Nintendo, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 15 Jun 2016 15:07:00 +0000

If you’ve listened to The Weekly Stuff for any period of time, you know we – or, at least, Sean – are sort of unhealthily obsessed with E3, and the many strange, overlong, weirdly wonderful press conferences and gaming announcements that come along with it. As we do every single year, we break down all the major conferences in order, from EA to Bethesda to Microsoft to Ubisoft to Sony, and to the Zelda- and Pokemon-themed musings of Nintendo. Which companies put on the best shows? What announcements and trailers surprised or impressed us most? Which games have we come out of E3 more or less excited for? In what is easily our longest podcast ever – sorry about that – we break down every announcement and trailer, and even wind up pitching a movie in which Zac Efron and Jaime Foxx get high at E3 (we got loopy there for a stretch). This is one of our favorite podcasts to do every year, and we hope you enjoy.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #148– Pre-E3 News Analysis & Speculation Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sat, 11 Jun 2016 12:00:00 +0000

With E3 and its myriad press conferences right around the corner, we prepare for one of the year’s biggest weeks in game news by recapping what turned out to be a pretty intense week of announcements and leaks in its own right, in which we learned the first details about Watch Dogs 2, were introduced to the next piece of Destiny with the unveiling of Rise of Iron, and most importantly, finally got a North American release date for Persona 5. We cover this and much more, before moving on to a round of speculation, going through each of the major entities sent to have a press conference at E3 – including Bethesda, Ubisoft, Microsoft, and Sony – and parsing out what we know, what we don’t know, and what we think might happen. How accurate will our predictions turn out to be? Tune in next week to find out.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #147 - Reviewing DOOM & X-Men Apocalypse

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 31 May 2016 15:32:00 +0000

It’s a two-topic episode this week, as after hitting a few quick pieces of news, covering recent shake-ups and kerfuffles related to WB’s troubled DC film slate, and recounting Jonathan’s adventures with a 16-year-old Pokemon game, we offer two in-depth reviews: One for this week’s X-Men Apocalypse – which one of us liked and one of us didn’t – and this month’s new DOOM game, which is an unambiguous treat from top to bottom. Spoilers for both are touched upon, though neither work would be significantly impacted by knowing plot details going in. And if you haven’t played DOOM yet, you seriously should – just listen to our discussion for all the details on why it is such an impressive masterwork.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #146 - Reviewing Uncharted 4: A Thief's End

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan R. Lack)) — Mon, 23 May 2016 13:00:00 +0000

After taking a week off due to Jonathan being under the weather – and to thus spare our listeners from a podcast filled with wall-to-wall coughing – we are back to discuss a few stray topics, including the Assassin’s Creed movie trailer and Sean’s initial thoughts on the fantastic new Doom game, before jumping into an in-depth review and analysis of Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End (with lots and lots of spoilers – if you’d like a spoiler-free take, Sean reviewed the game for the site last week). Even as big fans of Naughty Dog in general and the Uncharted series in particular, neither of us were quite prepared for just how great Uncharted 4 turned out to be, nor for the many ways in which it challenge both the medium and the genre to which it belongs. This is a great game, maybe even an all-timer, and it makes for an extremely fun discussion.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #145 – Persona 5 Trailer, Overwatch Beta, and Reviewing Captain America: Civil War

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 9 May 2016 15:25:00 +0000

In what is probably the longest episode we’ve ever recorded, we hit on a host of interesting recent topics – such as the open beta for Overwatch, news of Han Solo’s casting in the upcoming Star Wars spin-off movie, and the newest trailer and Japanese release date for the highly anticipated Persona 5 – before diving into an in-depth review and discussion of Captain America: Civil War. We both agree this is the finest hour of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to date, but just what makes this movie so wildly impressive, so moving from a thematic and emotional standpoint and awe-inspiring in its visuals and staging? This is a dense, complicated, incredibly rewarding movie, and while our discussion might be long, it’s one of the best we’ve ever had devoted to a single movie.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #144 – Whither Nintendo? Plus Call of Duty, Doctor Who News, and much more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 4 May 2016 15:34:00 +0000

With big media events like Captain America: Civil War and Uncharted 4 on the immediate horizon, this week is the ‘calm before the storm,’ as we tackle a variety of topics – including Sean’s final thoughts on Dark Souls III and Jonathan’s continuing adventures in the world of Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – before diving into a week’s worth of news. A new Call of Duty was announced, we met the new Doctor Who companion, and Nintendo…well, Nintendo is in a strange, sad place, and we have lots to say about that.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #143 – New York Stories, Dark Souls 3, Xbox 360 Memories, and much more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 15:41:00 +0000

This week’s episode is something of a grab-bag, as we cover a wide range of topics including Sean’s initial thoughts on Dark Souls 3, Jonathan’s takes on the finales of Better Call Saul and Supergirl, and continuing reports about Sony’s plans for a so-called PlayStation 4.5. Sean shares a ton of stories from his recent trip to New York – including what random people on the street told him about Batman v Superman – and for our main topic, we pay our last respects to the Xbox 360, for which Microsoft recently announced it is officially ending production. Enjoy!

(Note: I am aware there are audio issues with this episode. The ‘vinyl record pops’ are back, and worse than ever. I thought I had fixed the issue. Apparently not. We will be taking steps to fix this with next week’s episode).

Time Chart:

Digimon Talk: 0:00:00 – 0:06:50

Intro: 0:06:50 – 0:10:20

Supergirl & Better Call Saul: 0:10:20 – 0:23:02

Sean’s New York Stories: 0:23:02 – 1:12:09

Dark Souls 3: 1:12:09 – 1:22:35

Trailer Reactions: 1:22:35 – 1:48:35

Avatar Sequels: 1:48:35 – 2:01:40

Spider-Man: Homecoming News: 2:01:40 – 2:06:40

New PS4.5 (‘Project Neo’) Reports: 2:06:40 – 2:35:31

Xbox 360 Farewell & Retrospective: 2:35:31 – 3:11:59

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #142 - Uncharted Trilogy Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Apr 2016 13:00:00 +0000

With Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End just a few weeks away, and proving to be one of the most anticipated games of 2016, we thought now would be a good time to look back on one of PlayStation’s most iconic series, tracing the arc from the first Uncharted game, Drake’s Fortune, almost 10 years ago to where we are now. Naughty Dog’s Uncharted trilogy was a landmark in more ways than we can count, with each of these three games offering an embarrassment of riches, and the trilogy as a whole standing as a significant milestone in the evolution of video game storytelling. We dive deep to discuss our thoughts on all the major characters, each of the individual games, and what we hope to see in next month’s final, hopefully triumphant installment.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #141 - Technology Woes, Star Wars: Rogue One Trailer, & Movies that don't look like real movies

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Apr 2016 15:32:00 +0000

This week is a fun grab-bag of topics, as Jonathan rants about a weekend of relentless technology woes (hint: This was ‘the podcast that almost wasn’t’) and Sean is jumped into Windows 10 like Microsoft is the mafia. We talk a little bit more about Digimon Story Cyber Sleuth, which has somehow become a weekly topic here on the show, and we dive deep into the new trailer for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, which looks absolutely incredible. And finally, Jonathan has noticed a strange trend this month of major Hollywood releases that don’t look like real movies, and he has to get it off his chest, because it’s seriously starting to freak him out.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:01:55

Jonathan’s Technology Woes: 0:01:55 – 0:23:48

Sean vs. Windows 10: 0:23:48 – 0:40:30

More on Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth: 0:40:30 – 0:54:59

Rogue One Trailer Talk: 0:54:59 – 1:09:11

Movies that don’t look like real movies: 1:09:11 – 1:40:49

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #140 - Talking Final Fantasy XV News, Reviewing Daredevil Season 2, and much more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan R. Lack)) — Wed, 6 Apr 2016 15:44:00 +0000

This week on the show, we start with a dive into a large grab bag of topics. Jonathan talks about his experiences playing Digimon Story: Cyber Sleuth – which Sean has been talking about for weeks (it’s great!) – and offers some thoughts on both Supergirl and Better Call Saul as they near the end of their respective seasons. Sean discusses the recent beta for the upcoming Doom game (it’s fun!), and both Jonathan and Sean share their thoughts on the recent slate of Final Fantasy XV announcements, including our experiences with the newly released Platinum Demo.

And then, for our main topic, we dive into a spoiler-filled review of Daredevil Season 2 on Netflix, which we’ve all hopefully has a chance to see by now. We were big fans of the first season, and in many ways, this season is an improvement, even as it retains some of the first year’s narrative problems. Either way, it’s a fun season to talk about, and a great reprieve from the general awfulness of Batman v Superman.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:00

Jonathan talks Digimon: 0:03:00 – 0:15:00

Sean talks about buying a new TV: 0:15:00 – 0:34:30

Jonathan talks Supergirl and Better Call Saul: 0:34:30 – 0:48:50

Sean talks Xcom and Doom: 0:48:50 – 1:08:16

Final Fantasy XV news: 1:08:16 – 1:25:40

Batman v Superman Follow-up: 1:25:40 – 1:40:44

Daredevil Season 2: 1:40:44 – 3:02:53

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #139 - Jonathan & Sean vs Batman v Superman: Dawn of Awfulness

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan R. Lack)) — Mon, 28 Mar 2016 16:23:00 +0000

After years of waiting and/or dreading, this weekend, Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice finally arrived in theatres…and it is worse than any of us could have possibly imagined. I gave a spoiler-free take on the movie in my written review, but today’s podcast is all about diving into the film in deep, spoiler-y detail, as we pick apart every awful, offensive, boring, baffling, and oftentimes downright disgusting thing about this slow-motion trainwreck of a movie – a film both Sean and I argue is the worst superhero movie ever created. Strap in, folks. This is a long one.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #138 - The Batman & Superman Cinematic Countdown Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan R. Lack)) — Wed, 23 Mar 2016 13:30:00 +0000

In the second of our two podcasts this week, we prepare for tomorrow’s release of Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice in one of our biggest episodes ever. First and foremost, we reflect on the entire long, storied history of Batman and Superman on film by counting down, from best to worst, every single theatrical film to star one of the two characters – all 17 of them. From low points like Batman & Robin to high points like Superman The Motion Picture, this countdown is a veritable gamut reflecting the entire history of superhero cinema, and there may be no better way to prepare for _Batman v Superman…_Or maybe there is, as after the countdown finishes, we play one of our favorite Weekly Stuff games, where Sean and I gather all the information we have on this movie from trailers and other marketing, and try to piece together the plot of Batman v Superman, scene by scene, to see if we can make any sense of what has been a horrendously muddled marketing campaign. How close are we to the actual story? We think we’re pretty damn close, but only time will tell, and we can’t wait to see you all back here next week to finally review a movie we’ve been covering for well over 100 episodes now.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #137 - Grab Bag! Game Stories, Civil War Trailer, Indiana Jones 5, PS4.5 Rumors, & much more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan R. Lack)) — Mon, 21 Mar 2016 13:30:00 +0000

This week, we dip into a giant grab bag of news and stories, as Jonathan recounts his adventures catching up on Uncharted 2, his first experiences with Pokken Tournament on the Wii U, his love for the Bravely Second demo on 3DS, and a decade-in-the-making mea culpa for Nintendo after an unfortunate accident with a Wiimote. Sean continues to talk about Digimon Story Cybersleuth, and after discussing some recent movies and TV shows, we both move on to dissecting the new trailer for Captain America: Civil War, the announcement of Indiana Jones 5, and the can of worms opened by the reports that Sony is developing an upgraded version of the PlayStation 4, unofficially named the PS4.5. And stay tuned for a special bonus episode on Wednesday! It's a two-podcast week!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:03:37

Jonathan’s Game Stories: 0:03:37 – 0:26:20

Sean’s Game Stories: 0:26:20 – 0:41:29

TV Chat (Supergirl and Daredevil): 0:41:29 – 0:52:11

Movie Chat (The Witch, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Zootopia): 0:52:11 – 1:13:12

Civil War Trailer & Superhero Chat: 1:13:12 – 1:34:22

Indiana Jones 5 Announcement: 1:34:22 – 1:44:00

PS VR & PS4.5 Reports: 1:44:00 – 2:09:05

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #136 - Pokemon 20th Anniversary Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan R. Lack)) — Mon, 7 Mar 2016 16:40:00 +0000

With last week signaling the 20thanniversary of Pokemon Red & Blue – and the start of one of the world’s most enduring multimedia franchises – we are thrilled this week to offer a big, in-depth retrospective of the Pokemon universe. Sean and I discuss our memories of getting into the series, how the original games helped shape our respective futures, and what Pokemon meant to us as kids – and what, in some ways, it continues to mean to us now. I count down every single main generation Pokemon game from worst to best, give some brief reminiscences on the seven films I’ve seen, and finally, count down every single starter Pokemon across the entire franchise. Yeah. I went a little crazy with this one.

And if Pokemon isn’t your thing, we have plenty of other topics at the front of the show, as we discuss the recent Ghostbusters trailer and Nintendo Direct news, review Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest, talk this weekend’s betas for Uncharted 4 and Hitman on the PS4, and even follow up on Sean’s Digimon chat from last week. It’s a packed, long episode, but honestly one of my favorites we’ve ever recorded. Enjoy!

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:40

News and Stuff: 0:02:40 – 0:29:20

Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest Review: 0:29:20 – 0:51:41

Sean talks Uncharted 4 & Hitman Betas: 0:51:41 – 1:12:52

Digimon Follow-up: 1:12:52 – 1:30:27

Pokemon Retrospective: 1:30:27 – 3:27:14

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #135 - Talking Deadpool, Digimon Story, Fire Emblem Fates, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan R. Lack)) — Mon, 29 Feb 2016 15:00:00 +0000

After a week off, we return with a slew of topics, including more news on Star Trek and Batman v. Superman, a final check-in from Sean on The X-Files revival series, and more. We talk a little more about Deadpool, now that Sean has seen it as well. For the main topic, we both share some video game stories, as I go through the saga of setting up a new Wii U and give an in-depth review of one of this month’s biggest releases, Fire Emblem Fates. And then, in the middle of all that, Sean starts talking about Digimon Story Cybersleuth, and goes off on the strangest Digimon-related monologue you’ll ever hear. This is a strange episode, folks.

TIME CHART:

Intro: 0:00:00 – 0:02:45

News and Stuff: 0:02:45 – 0:32:05

Deadpool talk: 0:32:05 – 0:50:53

Jonathan’s continuing Wii U Adventures: 0:50:53 – 1:11:14

Sean’s Week in Gaming (including Digimon): 1:11:14 – 2:17:10

Fire Emblem Fates: 2:17:10 – 3:04:00

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #134 - Deadpool, Random Stuff, and Persona 3 The Movie #3 - Falling Down

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (noreply@blogger.com (Jonathan R. Lack)) — Mon, 15 Feb 2016 16:00:00 +0000

This week starts with a barrage of topics, as we talk about the unexpected success of Deadpool, discuss recent games we’ve been playing, check in on the latest Star Trek news and the newest Batman v Superman trailer, and get off on a whole lot of tangents. But the main event this week is our third-annual check-in on the ongoing film adaptation of our all-time favorite video game, Persona 3, as my imported Blu-ray of Persona 3 The Movie #3 – Falling Down is finally here, meaning we can offer our latest review of what has quickly become a can’t-miss film series. We reviewed the first film on Episode 87, and the second film on Episode 107, and as enthusiastic as we were on those occasions, this latest installment may the most engaging one yet.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #133 - The Witness, Gravity Rush, Smash Bros DLC, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 9 Feb 2016 20:58:00 +0000

This week is a packed grab-bag style podcast, as we make up for our blizzard-related week off by covering lots of news and goings-on – including the Super Bowl and related movie trailers, Sean’s thoughts on The X-Files revival, and our reactions on the horrifying majesty of Detective Pikachu – before diving into some video game reviews, including Jonathan’s thoughts on the latest and apparently final batch of Super Smash Bros DLC, Gravity Rush Remastered for the PS4, and Sean and Jonathan’s review of indie-puzzle-hit The Witness for the PS4.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #132 - Steven Moffat’s Doctor Who Departure

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Jan 2016 20:57:00 +0000

What could have been a slow week was quickly re-energized with the surprising, game-changing announcement that, come the end of next year’s tenth series, Steven Moffat will be stepping down as showrunner of Doctor Who, to be replaced by Broadchurch creator Chris Chibnall in 2018. Given how much we love Doctor Who, and how closely we’ve followed Moffat’s run over the course of this podcast, this announcement was more than worthy of a deep-dive discussion. With Sean’s thoughts on Rebel Galaxy, some reflections on Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me from Jonathan, and more head-scratching at decisions related to the DC Cinematic Universe, that’s more than enough to turn a slow week into a busy podcast full of interesting topics.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #131 - Remembering David Bowie & Alan Rickman

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 19 Jan 2016 20:55:00 +0000

This week’s episode starts with some sad reflections, as we look back on the lives and work of the late David Bowie and Alan Rickman, two artists who had incredible influences on our lives. After that, we move on to slightly more frivolous topics, discussing The Revenant, Oscar nominations, and Jonathan’s take on The Witcher III (Sean’s 2015 game-of-the-year, and Jonathan’s new why-didn’t-I-play-this-game-in-2015-of-the-year). And finally, for our main topic, we do our annual year-in-preview, looking at all the (known) video games coming out (or possibly coming out) in 2016, from Uncharted 4 to Final Fantasy XV to, of course, Persona 5. There’s a lot to look forward to in the coming months, even if 2016 has gotten off to a very sad start.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #130 - 2015 Year-in-Review Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 20:54:00 +0000

It’s time to look back on the year that was 2015, with our annual year-in-review spectacular! It’s top ten lists galore this week, as I count down the Top 10 TV Shows and Top 20 Films of 2015, while Sean counts down the Top 10 Video Games (and I chime in with a less-definitive Top 5), including a lengthily discussion of the landmark masterpiece The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. 2015 was a year that snuck up on both of us, and there was more than enough great, powerful art to talk about on this week’s retrospective show.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #129 - How I Spent My Winter Vacation: The Hateful Eight, Doctor Who Christmas and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 7 Jan 2016 20:53:00 +0000

After a brief holiday break, we're back to play catch-up and discuss everything we did over the holidays – from playing Final Fantasy XIV online, to catching up on TV Shows like The Flash, to seeing The Hateful Eight 70mm roadshow in theatres. Sean reviews the Sherlock special, “The Abominable Bride,” and to round things off, we provide our customary review and discussion of the Doctor Who Christmas special, “The Husbands of River Song.” Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #128 - Reviewing Star Wars: The Force Awakens

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 23 Dec 2015 20:49:00 +0000

This week, Star Wars: The Force Awakens finally arrived in theatres, and achieved world domination more or less instantly. We have been covering the movie since its announcement back in 2012, and now that it’s finally here, what did we think? I gave my spoiler-free thoughts in my written review, and suffice it to say, I’m all in. I love it. As for Sean…well, he didn’t like it as much – which certainly makes for an interesting and varied discussion, as whether one loves it or not, The Force Awakens offers plenty of things to talk about. We do just that, diving deep into all of the most interesting aspects of the movie – spoilers ahoy, obviously – and wrap up our fourth season in podcasting with some thoughts back on what kind of year 2015 has been.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #127 - Assassin’s Creed Syndicate & Star Wars Memories

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 15 Dec 2015 20:48:00 +0000

With Star Wars: The Force Awakens completing its long march towards world domination this weekend, we thought now would be as good a time as any to take a walk down memory lane, and try to determine what Star Wars means to us, as a series of remembrances from childhood. We talk about our first experiences with the series, what it was like growing up alongside the Prequels, and the ways Star Wars has evolved for us over time. And before all that, we also talk a bit about games – Sean reviews Assassin’s Creed: Syndicate and I talk the Uncharted: Nathan Drake Collection – and go through all this week’s big movie trailers, including X-Men Apocalypse and Star Trek Beyond. It’s a calm-before-the-storm sort of episode, but a fun one nevertheless.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #126 - Doctor Who Series 9 Farewell Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 7 Dec 2015 20:42:00 +0000

The Doctor Who Series 9 finale obviously looms large over everything else this week, but we take some time at the top of the show to discuss a few other topics as well, including the hilariously atrocious new Batman v Superman trailer, news and happenings out of the Game Awards and PlayStation Experience, and finally, a full review (with spoilers!) of Netflix and Marvel’s Jessica Jones. But Doctor Who is the focus on this extra-long episode, as we break down the outstanding Series 9 finale, “Hell Bent,” before looking back on Series 9 as a whole – ranking the episodes, thinking about favorite moments, saying farewell to departing companion Clara Oswald, and looking forward to the show’s very promising future.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #125 - Reviewing Doctor Who S9E10 & S9E11

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Nov 2015 20:41:00 +0000

On this week’s very busy episode, we spend the first hour playing catch-up from Thanksgiving break; I review The Good Dinosaur and Creed, Sean talks Netflix and Marvel’s Jessica Jones, we give our thoughts on the new Captain America: Civil War trailer, and I wax poetic about The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, which, after many years of trying to play, I finally played and beat on my vacation. But the real meat of the episode is our Doctor Who discussion, as we catch up on the latest two episodes: the exquisite “Face the Raven,” and the all-time great “Heaven Sent.” If you have seen these episodes, you know there’s a lot to talk about. And we talk about all of it, including a really intriguing theory from Sean on where we might be going in next week’s finale. As we say on the show, it is a glorious time to be a Doctor Who fan, and we could not be any happier talking about it at length the way we get to here.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #124 - Jonathan’s Top 10 Bizarre Film School Stories

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 23 Nov 2015 20:40:00 +0000

With Jonathan on vacation, we pre-recorded an extra-special episode. As you probably know, I attend the University of Colorado Boulder, and as a film student there – in an excellent, outstanding film program, I should make clear – I have been exposed to some strange films. Some very strange films. Some films the content of which I cannot discuss in polite conversations. Some films I cannot honestly believe I even saw. And I’ve been entertaining Sean with stories of these films and experiences off the air for years now – so for the Thanksgiving holiday, we thought it appropriate to finally tell those stories on air. I have made a list of my Top 10 Favorite Bizarre Film School Stories, and when I saw ‘bizarre,’ I am probably underselling it. This list gets extreme – from stories of watching films depicting births and autopsies, all the way to a movie about sexual cannibalism. Yeah. We go there.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #123 - Fallout 4, Rise of the Tomb Raider, and Doctor Who S9E9 (

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 17 Nov 2015 20:37:00 +0000

It’s a busy week on the show, as we have some major video game news and developments to discuss – including a new interface for the Xbox One and a major Nintendo Direct – in addition to two of the biggest releases of the year in Rise of the Tomb Raider and especially Fallout 4. Sean and I have spent a lot of time with these games so far, and neither disappoints. Alas, this week’s Doctor Who, “Sleep No More,” is the first of the season to feel subpar – although even then, there are lots of interesting things to talk about, rounding an episode filled with meaty discussions.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #122 - Reviewing Spectre, Ranking James Bond Films, and Doctor Who S9E8

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 9 Nov 2015 20:36:00 +0000

As if yet another tremendous episode of Doctor Who wasn’t enough to celebrate, this week, we get to rejoice over the release of the latest James Bond movie, Spectre! Well, sort of. The movie wasn’t that good. We talk about it. But, because there’s a new 007 movie, I undertook the insane task of ranking every James Bond movie, from worst to last, and we talk about all of them – all the highs, all the lows, and all the crazy space lazers. And then we do indeed get to talk about “The Zygon Inversion,” a potentially all-time great episode of Doctor Who. It’s a good week indeed.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #121 - Reviewing Halo 5 Guardians & Doctor Who S9E7

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 3 Nov 2015 20:35:00 +0000

This is a sad episode. There are some fun topics. We finally get to talk about the new Dragon Ball Z movie, Resurrection ‘F’, which is a blast. It’s a lot of fun to watch, and to talk about. And Doctor Who is still on a hell of a roll, with the latest episode, “The Zygon Invasion,” continuing the show’s hot streak. But the bulk of this episode is devoted to reviewing the latest game in one of our favorite series, Halo 5: Guardians, and the results are unfortunately disappointing. This is a game with such a strong command of the fundamentals, and so much raw potential, and so much of it goes unrealized. Speaking ill about Halo is never fun, and up to this point, it’s been pretty rare. But there’s no getting around it this time, and our spoiler-filled discussion of the game, its multiplayer, and its campaign is a deep dive into one of the year’s bigger let-downs.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #120 - Doctor Who S9E6, Star Wars, and Crimson Peak

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 19:28:00 +0000

On this week’s show, we devote some time to the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer, in addition to exploring various odds and ends, like my experience seeing Crimson Peak, or playing the new Dragon Ball Z game, while Sean continues his in-progress review of the new Witcher 3 expansion. I give a guide to James Bond 101 for newcomers to the long-running franchise, in anticipation of Spectre, and for our main topic, we review the latest episode in what has been a stellar season of Doctor Who, "The Woman Who Lived."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #119 - Doctor Who S9E5 & (More) Persona 4 Dancing All Night

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 19:27:00 +0000

This week’s show is a busy one, as we cover some recent news in movies and video games, before jumping into a big slate of reviews. Sean gives his initial impressions on the new DLC for The Witcher 3, Jonathan reviews the recent films Steve Jobs and Bridge of Spies, and we both discuss the PS Vita game Persona 4: Dancing All Night in spoiler-y detail. And finally, we dive deep into the latest episode of Doctor Who, “The Girl Who Died,” which was all kinds of fantastic, and deserving of some lengthy conversation.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #118 - Doctor Who S9E4 & The State of Star Wars

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 19:26:00 +0000

In what should have been a light week, we somehow recorded for close to two hours, talking first about the Star Wars: Battlefront beta on PS4, which transitions into a discussion about the state of Star Wars as we approach The Force Awakens. The hype train is in full effect, but why does everyone seem to feel so generally apathetic towards the franchise these days? We explore that and other issues before jumping into a discussion of this week’s Doctor Who, “Before the Flood,” which continues the show’s recent, entertaining hot streak. And finally, we discuss a longtime listener’s Top 10 list of their favorite podcast episodes, which made for a nice, surreal trip down memory lane (Thanks to Kenny for that!).

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #117 - Doctor Who S9E3 & Persona 4 Dancing All Night

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Oct 2015 19:25:00 +0000

This is a light, grab-bag style week on the podcast, as Sean gives his initial thoughts on Persona 4: Dancing All Night for the PS Vita, Jonathan talks about this weekend’s new movies – including Ridley Scott’s The Martian and Robert Zemeckis’ The Walk – and both of us discuss the latest Doctor Who episode, “Under the Lake,” which was excellent.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #116 - Doctor Who S9E2 & The Top 10 Persona Vocal Songs

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 28 Sep 2015 19:23:00 +0000

The episode begins with some catch-up on Super Mario Maker and Destiny, before we jump into this week’s Doctor Who review to talk about “The Witch’s Familiar.” It’s a damn good episode, and makes for a good discussion. But the bulk of the show this week is devoted to a crazy, niche, awesome top 10 list: The Top 10 Persona Vocal Songs. If you don’t know what Persona is, you are probably a new listener, because Persona is our favorite video game series here at The Weekly Stuff Podcast, and we use different songs from the various soundtracks to open the majority of our shows. So we love the series. We really love the music. And with the rhythm game Persona 4: Dancing All Night coming out next week, we thought now would be the most relevant time to count down our respective 10 favorite vocal songs from across the series and its many incarnations.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #115 - Doctor Who Series 9 Premiere & Destiny: The Taken King

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 20 Sep 2015 19:13:00 +0000

If you’ve been listening to this show for any length of time, you’ll know that Doctor Who is one of our two primary obsessions here. That means this is a pretty great week for the podcast, as not only did Doctor Who return for its ninth (modern) series on the BBC, but the Persona series – the object of our other primary obsession – was shown off at the Tokyo Game Show, with a new preview – and new release window – for the upcoming Persona 5. So there is a lot of excitement and enthusiasm on this week’s episode, and that’s before we even factor in Destiny: The Taken King, a new expansion that is absolutely wonderful, and very exciting to talk about.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #114 - Reviewing Metal Gear Solid V & Super Mario Maker

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 19:13:00 +0000

After looking over the history of the Metal Gear Solid franchise on last week’s show, we dive in full with the latest installment of the franchise, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain. This is one of the most acclaimed games of the year, but is it, well…any good? Sean and I aren’t exactly crazy about it, and the many, many, many problems on display with this game make for a lively, heated discussion.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #113 - Metal Gear Solid Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 10 Sep 2015 19:12:00 +0000

With Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain the big video game release of the past week, this week’s episode dives into the history of the entire Metal Gear Solid series, as we look back on every major entry in the franchise from the original Metal Gear Solid on the PSOne all the way to Peace Walker on the PSP. If nothing else, this is an endlessly fascinating franchise, and there is plenty to discuss and debate as we take a walk down twenty years of video game memory lane.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #112 - How I Spent My Summer Vacation! Part 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 21 Aug 2015 19:07:00 +0000

We continue our summer recollections with several video game topics, as Sean gives his final thoughts on The Witcher 3, I profess my newly discovered love for the Metal Gear Solid series – just in time for next month’s The Phantom Pain – and Sean counters with his general sense of confusion and frustration at the entire Metal Gear saga. We are in complete agreement, however, about the absolute greatness of this summer’s Batman: Arkham Knight, and while the discussion may be a few months late, we devote the majority of this episode to analyzing one of the first truly masterful games of this current console generation. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #111 - How I Spent My Summer Vacation! Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 20 Aug 2015 19:06:00 +0000

In this week's big summer catch-up episode, I discuss my recent trip to Austin, Texas for Rooster Teeth’s annual RTX convention, while Sean talks about his time playing J-Stars Victory Vs. Plus for the PS4. We then jump into some movie discussion, chatting about films ranging from Ant-Man to Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection ‘F.’ And in the end, we even follow up on an article I wrote in May about the alarming number of problems cropping up more and more in modern theatres, and how it’s sapping much of our enthusiasm for moviegoing.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #110 - Summer Movie Catch-up Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 19:05:00 +0000

Given our recent, unexpected hiatus, we wound up missing the releases of several major summer movies we meant to cover in depth. So while this is coming a little later than planned, we have recorded a ‘summer movie catch-up’ episode, in which we share our thoughts on all the films we have been meaning to talk about. I give some quick thoughts on Spy and Jurassic World – one of which I find to be perhaps the most overrated film I’ve seen in years – before Sean and I launch into longer, more in-depth discussions of Avengers: Age of Ultron, and Mad Max: Fury Road, which oddly works as an interesting compare/contrast study in different forms of modern action spectacle.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #109 - E3 2015 Analysis Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 18 Jun 2015 19:04:00 +0000

E3, the Electronic Entertainment Expo, is underway this week in Los Angeles, bringing with it a flurry of news from all corners of the gaming industry. As we do every year, we have devoted an entire episode to the show, breaking down press briefings from Sony, Microsoft, Bethesda, Nintendo, and more, analyzing all the big announcements, and discussing which games have us the most excited to play in 2015 and beyond.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #108 - Reviewing Netflix’s Daredevil Season 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 26 Apr 2015 19:03:00 +0000

It's a busy episode this week as we tackle lots of recent movie news - ranging from major Star Wars trailers and announcements, to the reveal of Jared Leto's delightfully idiotic Joker design - before diving into a full review of the first season of Netflix's "Daredevil." It's an exciting show that more than lives up to the legacy of the existing cinematic universe, and there's lots to dive into as we explore the world of Hell's Kitchen.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #107 - Reviewing Persona 3 The Movie #2 – Midsummer Knight’s Dream (

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sat, 11 Apr 2015 19:02:00 +0000

This time last year, we reviewed the first of the new four-part film adaptation of our all-time favorite video game, Persona 3. Now, the second film in the series has finally reached Blu-Ray, and we go in-depth to explore why "Persona 3 The Movie #2 - Midsummer Knight's Dream" is an absolutely astounding film. Also discussed are Sean's final thoughts on "Bloodborne," our take on the upcoming revival of "The X-Files," an impromptu rant about the general awfulness of Telltale games, and more!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #106 - Bloodborne, Persona Q & New Nintendo 3DS

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 2 Apr 2015 19:01:00 +0000

In another ‘grab-bag’ style episode, Sean and Jonathan run the gamut from discussing the recent James Bond Spectre trailer, Trever Noah taking over from Jon Stewart as host of the The Daily Show, recent updates to the PlayStation 4, and all the major announcements from Wednesday’s Nintendo Direct stream. Then, for our main topics, Sean reviews Bloodborne, the new sensation for the PS4, while Jonathan talks Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth after finally finishing it and gives his thoughts on the New Nintendo 3DS.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #105 - Dragon Ball Xenoverse Review & Persona 5 Trailer

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 19:00:00 +0000

On this week's belated installment of The Weekly Stuff Podcast, Sean and Jonathan swap some funny stories, dive into an assortment of recent film and gaming news - including the much-anticipated Persona 5 trailer and the announcement of Marvel's new Spider-Man movie - and offer opinions on two recent video games in Dragon Ball Xenoverse and Hotline Miami 2. It's a fun, freewheeling episode that should get us back on track for the weeks and months ahead!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #104 - The State of the New-Generation Gaming Consoles

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 19:59:00 +0000

It’s been a little over a year since the respective launches of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – topics we’ve covered in depth over the life of this podcast – and with that in mind, and coming off what was a pretty rough year for video games overall, we check in with the state of this new generation of home consoles (including Nintendo’s Wii U) to discuss where things have improved, where they’ve stayed the same, and what needs to continue changing as we march forward with 2015. Some follow-up from last year’s best of 2014 discussion, thoughts on the Halo 5 Multiplayer beta, and more round out the episode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #103 - The Top 10 Video Games of 2014

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 19:55:00 +0000

On the first episode of the new year, we look back at 2014 to count down our Top 10 Favorite Video Games of the past year. Was this a disappointing year for gaming, or did it have some unexpected gems? We talk about all this and more, before transitioning into a discussion of the third and final 'Hobbit' film, and how Peter Jackson's new trilogy functions as a whole. Finally, we once again talk Doctor Who with our thoughts on 2014's Christmas Special. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff BONUS - The Top 10 Films of 2014

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 19 Dec 2014 22:27:00 +0000

Jonathan counts down the Top 10 Films of 2014 on this special bonus mini-episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #102 - Persona Q, Far Cry 4, and November’s Broken Video Games

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 30 Nov 2014 22:27:00 +0000

On a belated, busy episode of the Weekly Stuff Podcast, we discuss lots of topics from the month of November, including our reactions to recent video games like Persona Q, Far Cry 4, Dragon Age: Inquisition, and Halo: The Master Chief Collection. We also discuss some recent movies and movie trailers - including the much-hyped teaser trailer for Star Wars Episode VII - and finally, talk about the disturbing trend of 'broken' games at launch throughout the last month. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #101 - Doctor Who Series 8 Finale Review & Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sat, 8 Nov 2014 22:25:00 +0000

With the eighth series of Doctor Who having wrapped up with its finale episode, "Death in Heaven," we take an in-depth look at the final episodes of the season, before transitioning into our overall thoughts on the series as a whole. This was a year with a whole lot of great content, but did it work on the whole? Other topics discussed include Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare, upcoming video games, and Marvel's ambitious Phase Three movie plans.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #100 - The Top 100 Stuff and Doctor Who S8E6-9

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 19 Oct 2014 21:23:00 +0000

On the landmark 100th episode of The Weekly Stuff Podcast, we celebrate our centennial recording by counting down our Top 100 Stuff! What does that mean? It's a surprise. Listen to find out. Also discussed are Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Marvel and DC's respective film plans, and finally, some in-depth reviews of the latest four episodes of Doctor Who Series 8. Complete with another Persona theme song, this is an episode that encapsulates a little bit of everything we've been doing here at the Weekly Stuff Podcast for the last 99 episodes.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #099 - Smash Bros 3DS Demo & Doctor Who S8E5

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 21 Sep 2014 21:22:00 +0000

This week’s episode is rather short – we covered so much material last time, there wasn’t a lot left over – as we review the latest episode of Doctor Who, “Time Heist,” along with some other odds and ends, including the recently released demo for Super Smash Bros. for Nintendo 3DS. Does the classic Smash Bros. formula really translate to a portable system? And even if it does, is that really sufficient explanation for why Jonathan can’t stop playing it?

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #098 - Reviewing Destiny & Doctor Who S8E4

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 18 Sep 2014 21:17:00 +0000

Bungie's Destiny is one of the biggest game releases of the year, and also one of the most divisive. We share all our thoughts on this ambitious, innovative shooter, before moving on to our weekly discussion of Doctor Who with the season's fourth episode, "Listen."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #097 - Velocity 2X, Minecraft PS4, and Doctor Who S8E3

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 7 Sep 2014 21:16:00 +0000

It's a calm before the storm kind of week here on the show, with Bungie's Destiny right around the corner – a topic we are most excited to dive headfirst into – so we take it slow this time with thoughts on this week's big PS4 releases – the brand new, and fantastic, Velocity 2X, alongside the oft-recycled, but always enjoyable Minecraft (with accompanying vitriolic rant from Sean, one of the few people immune to the game’s simple charms) – and, as always, a review of the most recent Doctor Who episode, "Robot of Sherwood."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #096 - Video Game News, DC Shenanigans, and Doctor Who S8E2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 Sep 2014 21:14:00 +0000

The new season of Doctor Who is moving full steam ahead, and as always, we talk about the latest episode – “Into the Dalek” – in great detail at the end of the episode. But there were plenty of other topics to cover this week, from gaming’s depressingly misogynist week, to Nintendo’s big, confusing New 3DS announcement, to DC’s reported policy of outlawing humor in superhero films. All this, plus stories of Sean and Jonathan playing Diablo III co-op and brief reviews of recent arthouse films round out the episode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #095 - Reviewing the Doctor Who Series 8 Premiere

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 24 Aug 2014 21:14:00 +0000

Continuing a longstanding tradition on the podcast, Sean and Jonathan offer an in-depth review and discussion of the new episode of Doctor Who, "Deep Breath." It's a hugely important episode, as the first story to feature Peter Capaldi as the new Doctor, but is it any good? Has Steven Moffat gotten over his worst instincts as a writer? And will Clara ever have an even partially consistent character? Listen to find out.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #094 - Revisiting Classic Doctor Who Introduction Stories

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 21 Aug 2014 21:10:00 +0000

With Peter Capaldi's 12th Doctor incoming on the new season of Doctor Who, we spend an episode discussing our favorite TV show by revisiting other Doctor introduction episodes over the life of the series - namely, the 3rd Doctor story "Spearhead from Space," "The Twin Dilemma" from the 6th Doctor, "The Christmas Invasion" for the 10th Doctor, and "The Eleventh Hour" for the 11th.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #093 - Guardians of the Galaxy, Robin Williams, Gamescom, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 14 Aug 2014 21:07:00 +0000

It's a very busy episode, as we catch up on several weeks worth of film and gaming news, including all the biggest announcements out of Gamescom 2014, offer our thoughts on Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, and, of course, pay our respects to the late, great Robin Williams.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #092 - Destiny Beta Chat plus Movie & Game News

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sat, 26 Jul 2014 21:07:00 +0000

It's a rather loose, relaxed episode this week, as Sean and Jonathan break down some movie and gaming news, discuss what recent games they've been playing, and have a discussion about Bungie's 'Destiny' console beta.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #091 - 2014 Year-to-date Review!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 21:06:00 +0000

After an unfortunate two-week  break, we have returned with a jam-packed episode, in which we cover a wide array of topics, from sharing thoughts on Doug Liman’s Edge of Tomorrow, to discussing the sorry state of PC gaming platform Steam, to breaking down various bits of movie, gaming, and TV news – Doctor Who returns August 23rd! – and a whole lot more. But the central topic is a look back at the year 2014 has been so far in the realms of film, gaming, and television, with Sean and myself offering three recommendations apiece for the best new games, movies, and shows of the year to date.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #090 - Destiny Alpha Reactions & E3 Wrap-up

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 20 Jun 2014 21:05:00 +0000

Having broken down all the biggest E3 news and announcements last week, we return this week for some final E3 wrap-up, including our reactions to the first-look Alpha for Bungie's new game Destiny. Also discussed are Warner Bros’ supposed  plans for an ambitious (and foolhardy) DC cinematic universe, and some  final thoughts on Ubisoft’s Watch Dogs.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #089 - E3 2014 Analysis Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 11 Jun 2014 21:04:00 +0000

With E3 well underway and all the major companies having delivered their annual press conferences - Microsoft, EA, Ubisoft, Sony, and Nintendo - we pick apart all the major news, announcements, and developments from the conference thus far, analyzing what this all means for the new video games consoles, and for the industry as a whole. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #088 - X-Men, Watch Dogs, Mario Kart 8, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 6 Jun 2014 20:58:00 +0000

In what might be the busiest episode we have ever recorded, Sean and Jonathan catch up on two  weeks worth of news – including the saga of Marvel’s Ant-Man following the departure of director Edgar Wright, and the  announcement of the hilariously awful title for Warner Bros’ Batman/Superman movie – in addition to four major discussion topics: A preview of next week’s E3 conference, a quick review of Mario  Kart 8 for the Wii U, a  longer review of Watch Dogs for the  PlayStation 4, and an in-depth discussion of Brian Singer’s X-Men: Days of Future Past.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #087 - Reviewing Persona 3 The Movie #1 – Spring of Birth

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 22 May 2014 20:57:00 +0000

As listeners probably know by now, our favorite video game of all time here at the Weekly Stuff is Persona 3, and with the first installment in the game's multi-part film adaptation having just hit home video, we wanted to offer an in-depth review of the movie. "Spring of Birth" is definitely a different beast than either of us expected, and it makes for an interesting, lively discussion. Also covered is the film's Blu-Ray release packaging and extras, so those on the fence about buying can have all the essential information. Enjoy! 

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #086 - Reviewing Gareth Edwards’ Godzilla

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 21 May 2014 20:56:00 +0000

With Gareth Edwards' "Godzilla" reboot film now in theatres and doing major box office numbers, we offer an in-depth discussion of the film, with hosts Sean - a lifelong Godzilla fan - and Jonathan - mostly familiar with the original 1954 'Gojira' - bringing two very different perspectives to the table. Recent Halo news and some other video game discussion rounds out the episode. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #085 - Reviewing The Amazing Spider-Man 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 13 May 2014 20:55:00 +0000

"The Amazing Spider-Man 2" is one of the worst films we here at The Weekly Stuff have ever seen, so on this week's episode, we tear the film apart in a long-form, in-depth review, discussing all the ways the movie fails simply  as a piece of filmmaking, along with exploring how the film fundamentally  misunderstands Peter Parker/Spider-Man as a character. Also discussed, at the top of the show, are some recent video games and video game news. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #084 - Our Top 10 Favorite Superhero Movies

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 2 May 2014 20:54:00 +0000

On this week's busy episode of The Weekly Stuff, we count down our Top 10 favorite comic-book superhero movies of all time, in recognition of the sheer number of superhero movies coming out this summer. Before the main topic, though, we cover a wide swath of recent news - from Star Wars casting to Hobbit name changes - Sean discusses a video he made with the new PS4 editing tools, and Jonathan offers some belated thoughts on Titanfall for the Xbox 360. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #083 - Reviewing Captain America: The Winter Soldier

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 18 Apr 2014 20:51:00 +0000

Sean and Jonathan offer an in-depth review and discussion of Captain America: The Winter Soldier, along with some thoughts on the departure of Martin O'Donnell from Bungie, recent PS4 developments, and Sony's strange plans for a Sinister Six movie. Enjoy!  

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #082 - Marvel Movie Retrospective & One-Shot Reviews

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 4 Apr 2014 20:50:00 +0000

After discussing the recent video games we've been playing - including Bravely Default, Dark Souls II, and Luftrausers - and briefly covering some recent gaming news, Sean and Jonathan prepare for Captain America: The Winter Soldier by looking back at all of Marvel Studios' films to date, and reviewing some of the One-Shot short films included on the Marvel movie Blu-Ray releases.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #081 - Reviewing Infamous: Second Son

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 20:50:00 +0000

Sean and Jonathan offer an in-depth review and discussion of the first major post-launch exclusive for the PlayStation 4, Infamous: Second Son. Suffice it to say, we're both big fans, and there is a lot to cover. Also discussed are Jonathan's misadventures syncing (and losing) PSN trophies, and Sean's stories about his shiny new laptop. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #080 - Sony News, Dark Souls II, and Wii U Stories

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 20:49:00 +0000

On this week's thoroughly random Weekly Stuff Podcast, Sean and Jonathan are joined by a special guest to talk about Dark Souls II, some more Wii U stories, and all the biggest gaming and movie news of the last week, including discussion of Sony's new Virtual Reality project, 'Morpheus.' Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #079 - Wii U Set-up Saga & Miscellanea Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 14 Mar 2014 20:48:00 +0000

On this week's totally random, utterly free-wheeling episode of The Weekly Stuff, Jonathan shares the saga that was setting up his new, stupidly-purchased Wii U, Sean unboxes Dark Souls II live on the air, and we cover a bunch of recent video game news. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #078 - Reviewing The Last of Us: Left Behind

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 21 Feb 2014 21:47:00 +0000

We offer an in-depth review of the new DLC for "The Last of Us," "Left Behind." How does it stack up to the main game, and what do we think of what it does or does not add to the universe of this masterpiece? Also discussed are the trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy, casting for Josh Trank's Fantastic Four, the shuttering of Irrational Games studio, and lots more. Enjoy!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #077 - Sherlock Series 3, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and more

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 7 Feb 2014 21:47:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman tackle a lot of news this week - including the incredibly tragic passing of Philip Seymour Hoffman, whom we pay tribute to here - from movie trailers to video game developments, before diving into an in-depth discussion of Series 3 of the BBC's 'Sherlock,' which just finished its American run on PBS.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #076 - 2014 Year in Preview

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 31 Jan 2014 21:46:00 +0000

We kick off the new year with discussions of Sony's plans for video game streaming, the state of Nintendo, and a preview of all the movies and games we are excited to experience in 2014.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #075 - 2013 Year-in-Review Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 1 Jan 2014 21:29:00 +0000

On the first episode of 2014, we take a look back at 2013, and the best in movies, video game, and (a little bit of) TV. With lots of lists and plenty of in-depth discussion, we bring 2013 to a close, and hopefully start 2014 off on the right foot.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #074 - The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug & Doctor Who Christmas Special

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 21:29:00 +0000

We catch up on December with a full review and discussion of The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and a discussion of the Doctor Who Christmas Special, "The Time of the Doctor." We also offer a retrospective of Matt Smith's run on the series as the Eleventh Doctor, capping off a very fun and busy episode!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #073 - Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 9 Dec 2013 21:28:00 +0000

We catch up on several weeks worth of news, including the announcement of Persona 5 and three new spin-off games, before jumping into a discussion of the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Special, "The Day of the Doctor."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #072 - Doctor Who 50th Anniversary Celebration Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sat, 23 Nov 2013 21:27:00 +0000

On a special bonus episode, we celebrate today's 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who, one of our very favorite television series, with a special retrospective episode. We talk about all eleven Doctors, their best companions, count down our Top 10 Favorite episodes from the classic and modern series, and more.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #071 - PS4 Impressions & Thor: The Dark World

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 20 Nov 2013 21:27:00 +0000

We give our initial impressions of the PlayStation 4, including the hardware, user interface, games, and graphics, before transitioning into an in-depth discussion of Marvel's "Thor: The Dark World."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #070 - PS3, Xbox 360, and Wii Generation Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 15 Nov 2013 21:26:00 +0000

On a special episode, we celebrate the launch of the PS4 and the next generation of video games by looking back upon the current generation - the Xbox 360, the Wii, and the Playstation 3. Talk of favorite games, memories, and more makes for a special, extremely long episode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #069.5 - An Unexpected Podcast Meltdown

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Nov 2013 21:20:00 +0000

On this week's episode...we lost this week's episode! After spending two hours recording a brand new episode reminiscing about the current generation of video games, a computer malfunction erased the data, leaving us with this special twenty-minute explanatory podcast to tide listeners over.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #069 - Hobbit Trailer, PS4 FAQ & Batman Arkham Origins

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 6 Nov 2013 21:19:00 +0000

We cover a wide grab bag of topics - and a lot of random tangents - including recent movie trailers for The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and Captain America: The Winter Soldier, the giant PS4 FAQ released by Sony, our extended thoughts on Batman: Arkham Origins, and some commentary on recent game reviews.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #068 - Batman Arkham Origins Impressions & More!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 28 Oct 2013 20:18:00 +0000

Sean and Jonathan talk about a bunch of random topics - Pokemon X and Y, Gravity, Indie Games, Doctor Who news, etc. - before moving on to a review of Batman: Arkham Origins, the newest Batman game, which we both consider to be a pleasant surprise!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #067 - Pokemon X & Y and Dracula Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 20 Oct 2013 20:13:00 +0000

We celebrate Halloween with a discussion of one of history's greatest horror movies: Dracula, starring the inimitable Bela Lugosi! And before that, we discuss the shocking delay of Ubisoft's Watch Dogs and offer some initial thoughts on Pokemon X and Y!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #066 - Reviewing Grand Theft Auto V

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 11 Oct 2013 20:12:00 +0000

We talk a bunch about recent video games we've played, including Beyond Two Souls, before diving into some really exciting Doctor Who news, and finally providing our promised, definitive review of "Grand Theft Auto V" and its troublesome online mode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #065 - Steam News Analysis & More GTA V Thoughts

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 30 Sep 2013 20:12:00 +0000

We analyze all the recent, fascinating Steam announcements, some intriguing information about the PS4, the reveal of a new Persona game, and even offer some more critical thoughts on Grand Theft Auto V.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #064 - Spoiler-Free Grand Theft Auto V Impressions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 24 Sep 2013 20:05:00 +0000

Sean and Jonathan give their first thought on Rockstar's 'Grand Theft Auto V.' We have not finished the main campaign yet, so we kept this discussion spoiler-free - but there are still plenty of things to talk about in terms of characters, game mechanics, and crazy stories from our first week with the game. Other Video Game news and some quick movie reviews round out the episode...

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #063 - Grand Theft Auto & Mass Effect 3 Retrospectives

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 16 Sep 2013 20:04:00 +0000

We take a slow week and furiously overcompensate, delivering an in-depth Grand Theft Auto retrospective to mark the release of the new game, Grand Theft Auto V, before giving our long overdue discussion on Mass Effect 3, with particular regards to the ending. Other topics, like flooding in Colorado (where we record this podcast) and the Japanese Blu-Ray release of the new Dragon Ball Z movie, round out one of our longest episodes.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #062 - Red vs Blue, Gaming News, and Hotline Miami Discussion

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 10 Sep 2013 19:59:00 +0000

We catch up on a bevy of gaming news, including big announcements from Nintendo, Microsoft, and Sony, before diving into a discussion of Rooster Teeth's two major animated series, "Red vs Blue" and "RWBY," and offer some thoughts on one of our favorite recent Indie games, "Hotline Miami."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #061 - Gamescom News & Ben Affleck as Batman

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 27 Aug 2013 19:58:00 +0000

We talk all the big video game news of this year's Gamescom conference, cover the casting of Ben Affleck as Batman, and treat you to a solid hour's worth of tangents and asides. A fun time shall be had by all!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #060 - Persona 3 Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Aug 2013 19:58:00 +0000

Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman recap some recent movies, video games, and news for each before jumping into a long, in-depth discussion on our favorite game of all time, the 2006 JRPG classic "Shin Megami Tensei: Persona 3."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #059 - 12th Doctor Who News, The Wolverine, and Bioshock Infinite DLC

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 4 Aug 2013 19:57:00 +0000

We cover this weekend's revelation of the identity of the 12th Doctor on British sci-fi classic Doctor Who, give our thoughts on the new downloadable content for Bioshock Infinite, and review the latest comic-book movie, The Wolverine.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #058 - Comic-Con News & Batman v Superman Announcement

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 25 Jul 2013 19:56:00 +0000

We catch up on all the news, announcements, and happenings since I have been away on vacation. That means that we get to talk about awesome new movies like Pacific Rim and The Wolverine, the Steam Summer Sale, news about the Xbox One and Indie gaming, and of course, Comic-Con. There was far too much at Comic-Con (as always) to cover in one podcast, so we focused on what was directly relevant to this podcast – which, of course, includes Warner’s big, strange reveal of their Batman Vs. Superman film for 2015.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #057 - Our Top 10 Favorite Games of All Time! Part 3

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 19:45:00 +0000

On the third and final episode of a special three-part installment, we finish counting down, discussing, and analyzing our Top 10 favorite video games of all time! On this episode, we conclude the countdown with discussions of our very favorite video games ever, including entries in the "Mass Effect" and "Persona" series.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #056 - Our Top 10 Favorite Games of All Time! Part 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 15 Jul 2013 19:45:00 +0000

On the second episode of a special three-part installment, we continue counting down, discussing, and analyzing our Top 10 favorite video games of all time! On this episode, we share our respective selections for #7-#4, including modern masterpieces like Halo and Red Dead Redemption and classics like Super Mario 64.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #055 - Our Top 10 Favorite Games of All Time! Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Jul 2013 19:44:00 +0000

On the first episode of a special three-part installment, we begin counting down, discussing, and analyzing our Top 10 favorite video games of all time! On this episode, we share our honorable mentions before moving on to our respective selections for #10 - #8.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #054 - Reviewing The Last of Us

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 28 Jun 2013 19:44:00 +0000

We go in-depth with Naughty Dog's "The Last of Us," the recent video game sensation for PlayStation 3. This is one of the greatest games ever made, and we give it the treatment it deserves by discussing and analyzing it in extreme detail over the course of this special 3-hour episode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #053 - Microsoft’s Xbox One 180 Announcement

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 19:34:00 +0000

We break down Microsoft's stunning, surprising announcement that they are doubling back on nearly every online or DRM-related policy they have announced for the Xbox One, their next-generation gaming console, over the past few weeks.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #052 - Reviewing Man of Steel

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 19 Jun 2013 19:33:00 +0000

We discuss the new Superman film, "Man of Steel." And by discuss, we mean Sean rants about why he hates it, while Jonathan mostly stays quiet and lets him vent (you can visit We Got This Covered for Jonathan's full, positive written thoughts on the film). We also touch on some developments in the world of superhero films, discuss the possibilities for a Justice League movie after "Man of Steel," and briefly talk the new video game sensation "The Last of Us."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #051 - E3 2013 Analysis Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:32:00 +0000

It is an absolutely insane week for video games, as the Electronic Entertainment Expo – better known as E3 – is well underway. Having already heard from Microsoft, Ubisoft, EA, Sony, and Nintendo, there is a lot of news to cover, including pricing and release windows for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4, tons of newly announced games and additional information on known quantities, and more. We tackle all this news and more, along with our analysis of where Microsoft, Sony, and their respective next-generation consoles stand at this point in time.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #050 - Discussing Matt Smith’s Doctor Who Departure

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Jun 2013 19:22:00 +0000

We discuss Matt Smith's recent announcement that he is leaving Doctor Who at the end of the year. How it will affect the show moving forward? What are our theories about the incoming Twelfth Doctor era? All this and more is discussed.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #049 - Analyzing Microsoft’s Xbox One Reveal

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 23 May 2013 19:21:00 +0000

We take a look at Microsoft's somewhat disastrous reveal of the horrendously named 'Xbox One.' Where Sony focused on games and gamers with their PS4 reveal earlier this year, Microsoft seems to be abandoning their core demo - at the expense of live TV? There is a lot of confusing information and outright misinformation to sift through, and we have it all covered for you in this special, in-depth podcast.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #048 - Reviewing Star Trek Into Darkness

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 22 May 2013 19:21:00 +0000

We discuss and review J.J. Abrams' " Star Trek Into Darkness," the latest sci-fi blockbuster of 2013. From mysterious villains to new versions of old characters, there is plenty to talk about, and we cover it all.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #047 - Doctor Who Series 7 Finale Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 19 May 2013 19:11:00 +0000

With the seventh series of the BBC’s Doctor Who having finished this weekend, we thought it would be proper to devote an entire episode towards not only the series finale, but this very strange, extremely fragmented season as a whole. First, we give our in depth thoughts on the big finale episode, “The Name of the Doctor,” before diving into a discussion of the season overall, giving brief retrospective opinions of each episode and exploring where this series stands in the Doctor Who pantheon.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #046 - Wrath of Khan Retrospective & Doctor Who S7E12

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 13 May 2013 19:11:00 +0000

We prepare for the horribly titled "Star Trek Into Darkness" by watching the first - and best - Star Trek sequel, "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." What is it that makes this seminal masterpiece of the Star Trek universe so successful? Why is it such a high benchmark other Trek films have had difficulty living up to? We cover all this and more, along with Sean's take on "Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon," and our review of the latest Doctor Who episode, "Nightmare in Silver."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #045 - Reviewing Iron Man 3 & Doctor Who S7E11

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 6 May 2013 19:05:00 +0000

We dive deep into the world of Marvel's "Iron Man 3," reviewing, analyzing, and debating the first major film of the summer. It's a good one, too, leaving us with lots and lots to talk about before we transition into our weekly "Doctor Who" segment and review the latest episode, "The Crimson Horror."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #044 - Summer Movie Preview & Doctor Who S7E10

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 19:04:00 +0000

We give our thoughts on our most anticipated upcoming summer movies - including "Iron Man 3," "Man of Steel," "Star Trek Into Darkness," "Fast & Furious 6," and more - in addition to covering some recent gaming developments and reviewing the latest episode of Doctor Who, "Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #043 - Star Wars News, Halo 4 Multiplayer, and Doctor Who S7E9

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:03:00 +0000

The calm before the upcoming storm that is the summer movie season is still in effect, making for another podcast episode where we talk about many different subjects, which is always one of our favorite ways to record. Sean continues to relate his experiences playing through the Uncharted series, we review and recap three of the biggest movie trailers from the past week – including the absolutely phenomenal trailer for Man of Steel – and we go over the inexplicable announcement that Disney will produce and release a new Star Wars film every single summer from 2015 to 2020. And for our main ‘topics,’ we check in with the Halo 4 multiplayer suite – which has evolved quite a bit since last we talked about the game, with new playlists and gameplay tweaks – and review this week’s episode of Doctor Who, “Hide.”

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #042 - Reviewing Evil Dead & Doctor Who S7E8

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:00:00 +0000

We tackle a few small topics, including the latest Xbox 720 rumors, before diving in to one of our patented in-depth discussions on Fede Alvarez's excellent remake of "Evil Dead." After talking gore, gore, and more gore, we move on to our weekly "Doctor Who" segment, in which we review this week's episode, "Cold War."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #041 - Reviewing Bioshock Infinite & Doctor Who S7E7

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Tue, 9 Apr 2013 18:59:00 +0000

We go in-depth with our lengthy review and discussion of Bioshock Infinite, the undisputed game of the year so far. After that, we check in with the latest episode of Doctor Who, "The Rings of Akhaten." Spoilers for both!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #040 - Doctor Who Mid-Season Premiere Review (S7E6)

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 Apr 2013 18:18:00 +0000

We are back from a spring break vacation with lots and lots to talk about, in particular the mid-season premiere of Doctor Who, “The Bells of Saint John.” But before that, we tackle a variety of topics, including the launch of Bioshock Infinite (which we will be reviewing in-depth next week), my entirely uneventful trip to Portland, Oregon, the recent release of some good movies (G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Spring Breakers), and stories of a trip to the new Alamo Drafthouse theatre in Littleton, Colorado.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #039 - Our Top 10 Favorite TV Shows! Part 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 18:16:00 +0000

In the second installment of a special 2-part episode, hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman countdown their top 10 favorite TV Shows of all time, including classics such as "Doctor Who," "Dragon Ball Z," "The X-Files," "Mad Men," and more! Part 2 concludes our countdown with our picks for #5 through #1.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #038 - Our Top 10 Favorite TV Shows! Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:15:00 +0000

In the first part of a special 2-part episode, hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman countdown their top 10 favorite TV Shows of all time, including classics such as "Doctor Who," "Star Trek," "Firefly," and more! Part 1 includes our picks for #10 through #6, while next week's conclusion will finish the list with #5 through #1.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #037 - Fade to Lack & Amazing Spider-Man 2 Theories

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 18:13:00 +0000

We play catch-up with a TON of interesting news and rumors. First, though, Jonathan Lack discusses his new book, Fade to Lack - available now from Amazon.Com - and offers an interview with illustrator Shannon Wheeler. We then move on to discuss the Sim City launch fiasco (to put it lightly), catch-up with the (bad) movies of 2013, offer thoughts on the recent Iron Man 3 and Star Trek Into Darkness trailers, recap Star Wars casting news, discuss a silly Justice League rumor, and for our main topic, dive into the mountains upon mountains of casting confirmations recently made for "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." With so many villains and love interests, what could this movie possibly look like? We do our best to figure it out! 

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #036 - Persona 4 Golden Review Spectacular! Part 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Mar 2013 19:27:00 +0000

On this special 2-part episode, hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman review, discuss, analyze, and examine in excruciating detail one of their favorite games of all time, "Persona 4" - in particular, the recent enhanced remake for the PS Vita, "Persona 4: The Golden." We have been waiting to do this episode for a very long time, and are extremely excited to share it with you! Part 2 finishes our thoughts on all the characters before diving into a discussion of the game mechanics and music.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #035 - Persona 4 Golden Review Spectacular! Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Mar 2013 19:10:00 +0000

On this special 2-part episode, hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman review, discuss, analyze, and examine in excruciating detail one of their favorite games of all time, "Persona 4" - in particular, the recent enhanced remake for the PS Vita, "Persona 4: The Golden." We have been waiting to do this episode for a very long time, and are extremely excited to share it with you! Part 1 dives into our general thoughts, plot and story discussion, and all the characters on the central investigation team.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #034 - PlayStation 4 Announcement Analysis

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 19:09:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman analyze, dissect, and discuss Sony's recent announcement of the PlayStation 4. In an exhaustive analysis that covers absolutely everything we know so far, we offer our thoughts on one of the most exciting developments in recent gaming history, as well as our predictions and hopes for what comes next.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #033 - PS4 & Xbox 720 Wants and Predictions

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 19:04:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman discuss their wants and predictions for the new generation of video game consoles, tentatively known as the PlayStation 4 and Xbox 720. Also discussed is Bungie's reveal of their new game "Destiny."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #032 - Netflix, House of Cards, and Imaginary Anime Casting

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 19:03:00 +0000

On a very loose episode, we cover a wide swath of topics, some timely and some completely frivolous. First, Jonathan reviews Netflix's new original series, "House of Cards," and examines this new TV format the company is trying out. Next, Sean and Jonathan talk a little bit about the "Final Fantasy" games on PSN, before Sean launches into a long rant on "Call of Duty: Black Ops Declassified" on the PS Vita. Finally, for our main topic, we offer a comedic thought-exercise on silly celebrity casting in anime. If we were producing an all-celeb dub of shows like "Dragon Ball Z," "Yu-Gi-Oh," or "One Piece," what celebrities would we cast? It's just for fun, and completely ridiculous, but it makes for a fun discussion to round out the episode! 

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #031 - Reviewing Batman: The Dark Knight Returns

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 4 Feb 2013 19:02:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman review DC Animated Universe's 2-part adaptation of Frank Miller's acclaimed graphic novel, "Batman: The Dark Knight Returns."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #030 - JJ Abrams, Star Wars, and Nintendo Announcements

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 19:01:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman tackle two big news topics from the past week. First, we cover the big spate of Nintendo news announced during the company's latest Nintendo Direct broadcast, and next, we dive deep into our thoughts on the news that J.J. Abrams will be directing "Star Wars Episode VII."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #029 - Talking PlayStation, Zero Dark Thirty, and more!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Sun, 20 Jan 2013 18:58:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman take it easy and talk about whatever's on their mind, which, in this case, means PlayStation network issues, downloadable video games like "Journey" and "Tokyo Jungle," a horrible shopping experience at Best Buy, and Kathryn Bigelow's "Zero Dark Thirty." There's no particular topic, but this is a fun and lively podcast nevertheless!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #028 - 2013 Year-in-Preview!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 18:58:00 +0000

Sean Chapman and Jonathan Lack offer a comprehensive preview of the most exciting movies and video games coming out over the next twelve months, including "GTA V," "Man of Steel," and lots more!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #027 - Doctor Who 2012 Christmas Special & HFR Hobbit

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 7 Jan 2013 18:57:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman play catch-up on the last two weeks - including Sean's memorable experiences going to the movie theatre, as well as his opinion on the HFR version of "The Hobbit" - before diving into a full review and analysis of the new Doctor Who Christmas Special, "The Snowmen."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #026 - 2012 Year-in-Review Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 24 Dec 2012 18:44:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman look back at 2012, offering our picks for the best movies, video games, and TV Shows of a very entertaining year. And Sean babbles about a four-year old JRPG. A lot.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #025 - Reviewing The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Dec 2012 18:43:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman review, analyze, and discuss the highly anticipated "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" from director Peter Jackson. We are both very positive on the film, albeit with some minor reservations. Listen to the show to learn more!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #024 - Audio Commentary for the Animated 1977 ‘Hobbit’

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Dec 2012 18:40:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman prepare for the release of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" by recording an audio commentary for the 1977 animated "Hobbit" movie by Rankin Bass! If you haven't seen this camp classic, now is the perfect time! Also discussed are recent film releases and "Far Cry 3."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #023 - Lord of the Rings Film Trilogy Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Dec 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman continue their trek through Middle Earth with an exhaustive look back at the "Lord of the Rings" film trilogy by director Peter Jackson. Exploring our memories of the movies, how the films adapt Tolkien's books, and how each character and performance stacks up, we give this epic trilogy the remembrance it deserves!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #022 - The World of JRR Tolkien and The Hobbit

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 18:39:00 +0000

Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman prepare for the release of "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey" by diving into the literary world of J.R.R. Tolkien and Middle Earth. What makes "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings" such enduring classics? What about the universe Tolkien created endures and excites readers decades past its inception? All this, plus discussions of "Skyfall" and "Lincoln," round out a busy episode!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #021 - Call of Duty Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 18:37:00 +0000

Jonathan and Sean offer their thoughts on the Call of Duty phenomenon by tracing the series from the start of its home console success with Call of Duty 2 up to the record breaking success of Black Ops II. Also discussed is recent film news, a breakdown of the final Twilight film, Wii U launch news, and Jonathan's guide to Thanksgiving film releases.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #020 - Reviewing Halo 4 & Red vs Blue Season 10

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 12 Nov 2012 18:35:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman offer an in-depth, multi-part review of Halo 4, the new Halo game for Xbox 360. All spoilers are held to the end of the episode, so don't worry if you haven't finished Campaign yet! Also discussed, at the beginning of the show, is Red vs Blue Season 10 and its recent, excellent finale.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #019 - Halo Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 5 Nov 2012 18:34:00 +0000

In preparation for this week's launch of "Halo 4" on Xbox 360, Sean and Jonathan offer their thoughts on the upcoming game and take an in-depth look back at memories of prior games in the beloved sci-fi series.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #018 - Star Wars News & Prometheus Review Redux

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Thu, 1 Nov 2012 17:33:00 +0000

Sean Chapman and Jonathan Lack devote half the show to a second discussion of Prometheus, now on Blu-Ray, and the first half bouncing around from an overview of the Assassin’s Creed video games, recent movie reviews, and our reaction to the news that Disney has purchased Lucasfilm and will be making more Star Wars films. What can we say? It has been a busy couple of weeks, and we wanted to cover it all.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #017 - Indiana Jones Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 8 Oct 2012 17:32:00 +0000

Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman revisit the beloved "Indiana Jones" franchise, offering their in-depth analysis of each film in the original trilogy and briefly touching upon "Crystal Skull." Discussion of the new "Bond 50" Blu-Ray set and a preview of next week's installment round out the episode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #016 - Doctor Who Series 7 Mid-Season Finale Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 1 Oct 2012 17:32:00 +0000

Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman finish our coverage of the first portion of Doctor Who's seventh season by discussing "The Angels Take Manhattan," the final episode to feature long-time companions Amy and Rory!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #015 - Reviewing Doctor Who S7E4

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 24 Sep 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Sean and Jonathan discuss the fourth episode of Doctor Who Series 7, "The Power of Three," in great detail. In particular, we spend much time ranting about the final, awful line of the episode. The latest "Hobbit" trailer is also discussed.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #014 - Reviewing Half-Life ‘Black Mesa’ & Doctor Who S7E3

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 17 Sep 2012 17:31:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman cover a few mini-topics before jumping into a major, in-depth discussion of the highly impressive Half-Life "Black Mesa" mod, a remake of the original Half-Life game from the ground-up! At the end of the episode, we also review the latest Doctor Who, "A Town Called Mercy," in-depth.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #013 - Terminator Retrospective & Doctor Who S7E2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 17:28:00 +0000

This week's episode is a scattered one, with hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman covering a variety of topics, from an overview of the new "Terminator Anthology" Blu-Ray set to a discussion of this week's "Doctor Who," "Dinosaurs on a Spaceship." It's a fun and free-spirited episode, but we promise to have a real topic next week!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #012 - Doctor Who Series 7 Premiere Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Mon, 3 Sep 2012 17:27:00 +0000

Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman take an in-depth look at "Asylum of the Daleks," the first episode of Doctor Who's brand new seventh series. We cover character and plot details, make predictions, and give our overall thoughts on a pretty outstanding premiere. "Hobbit" news and updates on Denver's "Studio Ghibli" festival round out the episode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #011 - Doctor Who Series 7 Preview Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 29 Aug 2012 17:26:00 +0000

Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman indulge their obsession of British sci-fi series "Doctor Who" by previewing its upcoming seventh series, premiering this Saturday on BBC America. Predictions! Retrospectives! Criticism! Praise! It's all here in our special Doctor Who kick-off!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #010 - Nintendo 3DS XL Review

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:25:00 +0000

Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman offer a review of Nintendo's new handheld gaming console, the 3DS XL, along with thoughts on "New Super Mario Bros. 2" and other random topics.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #009 - Studio Ghibli Retrospective Spectacular!

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 17:23:00 +0000

With a massive film festival of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's works coming to Denver, Colorado, hosts Jonathan Lack and Sean Chapman take a look at all the movies being screened. Which ones are the best? Which ones aren't as amazing? Which ones should you go out of your way to see? It's a cavalcade of classics on this week's episode.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #008 - Catching up on Red vs Blue Season 10

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 8 Aug 2012 17:21:00 +0000

We discuss Peter Jackson’s decision to make his Hobbit adaptation a trilogy. Does this move excite us? Is there any validity to all the fanboy wining on the internet? Then we review the tenth season of popular web series Red vs Blue. The landmark season has reached its halfway point, so we wanted to catch up and chime in on what has been a pretty phenomenal year for Rooster Teeth.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #007 - Reviewing The Dark Knight Rises

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 17:19:00 +0000

Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman host an in-depth discussion on the year's biggest film, "The Dark Knight Rises." We pick apart every character, plot point, and detail, analyzing the film to its fullest to provide the best insight possible. Also discussed are our hopes for the next Batman series, and reactions to the first "Man of Steel" teaser.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #006 - Our Most-Hated Movies of All Time

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:17:00 +0000

Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman count down the worst movies of all time. Which atrocious films made their lists? Which cinematic abominations stand among the worst of the worst? And will Sean ever get past the pain of watching "After Last Season?" Find out on this exciting episode!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #005 - Reviewing The Amazing Spider-Man

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 11 Jul 2012 17:16:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman take an in-depth look at this month's superhero spectacular, "The Amazing Spider-Man." Marc Webb's reboot has proven commercially popular, but is it a critical success? We analyze every aspect of the film in great detail to find out!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #004 - Reviewing Ridley Scott’s Prometheus

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 4 Jul 2012 17:13:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman take an exhaustive, in-depth look at Ridley Scott's "Prometheus," the sci-fi sensation that has set the internet ablaze. Nearly every moment of the film is analyzed, with each question and muddy plot point addressed in extreme detail.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #003 - Spider-Man Trilogy Retrospective

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 17:11:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman take an in-depth look at the Sam Raimi "Spider-Man" trilogy in preparation for the franchise reboot, "The Amazing Spider-Man."

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #002 - Our Favorite Films of All Time! Part 2 of 2

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 20 Jun 2012 17:06:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman conclude their countdown of their Top Ten favorite movies, with discussions of films like "The Empire Strikes Back," "The Godfather," "Back to the Future," and more!

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/

The Weekly Stuff #001 - Our Favorite Films of All Time! Part 1

dinochow@jonathanlack.com (Jonathan R. Lack & Sean Chapman) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 16:51:00 +0000

Hosts Jonathan R. Lack and Sean Chapman take you on a journey through their ten favorite films of all time! Classics and obscure choices are covered and a good time is had by all! This week explores #10-#6 on the list, while next week’s show will countdown #5 through #1.

Read Jonathan Lack’s movie reviews and stay up to date with all our podcast projects at https://www.jonathanlack.com

Subscribe to JAPANIMATION STATION, our podcast about the wide and wonderful world of anime: https://www.japanimation-station.com

Read Jonathan’s book 200 Reviews in Paperback or on Kindle – https://a.co/d/bLx53vK

Subscribe to our YouTube channels!

Japanimation Station: https://www.youtube.com/c/japanimationstation

Purely Academic: https://www.youtube.com/@purelyacademicpodcast

Support the show at Ko-fi ☕️ https://ko-fi.com/weeklystuff

Original Music by Thomas Lack https://www.thomaslack.com/